Bigots For McCain

Yesterday, John McCain received the endorsement of Pastor John Hagee, founder of Christians United For Israel:

The pastor is best known in some Washington circles as a founder of Christians United for Israel and for his belief, as laid out in his book "Jerusalem Countdown" that the end of days scenario as spelled out in the Book of Revelation will occur after Russia, allied with the Islamic world, attacks Israel.

"Russia is going to get in that position and they are literally, with all that massive military force, going to attack Israel," Hagee told ABC News in 2006. "This is recorded in Ezekiel 38 and 39. God himself is literally going to destroy that army. Decimate it."

Hagee added that the confrontation would be followed by a Chinese army of 200 million coming to the city of Armageddon, where they will meet British and U.S. forces in the Battle of Armageddon.

"At that point, Jesus Christ returns to Earth and sets up his eternal kingdom in the city of Jerusalem and there's 1000 years of peace," Hagee said. "The Jewish people are going to see the supernatural hand of God preserve them and deliver them while the enemies of Israel are crushed. That's the end-time story."

Asked if he subscribed to this theology, McCain furrowed his brow.

"All I can tell you is I'm proud to have Pastor Hagee's support," he said.

Hagee added that his "support of Israel has absolutely nothing to do with an end times prophetic scenario.

Riiiiiiiight.

Personally, I think the end of the world is going to be something like this:

But that's beside the point. You'd think that such an endorsement proves the TNGOP right, that they're the ones who support Israel while the Democrats are anti-Semitic.

Well, if you thought that, you'd be wrong:

In "Jerusalem Countdown: A Prelude To war" Hagee has stated that Jews brought the Holocaust upon themselves by rebelling against God and that the Holocaust was God's way of forcing Jews to move to Israel where, Hagee predicts according to his interpretation of Biblical scripture, they will be mostly killed in the apocalyptic Mideast conflict.

Read the rest of that link for more details, it gets even better.

So, yes, his support of Israel IS just based around the end-times scenario, where there will be no more Jews. I still fail to understand how his desire to see the end of Judaism is any different from Farrakhan calling it a "gutter religion."

And oh...we brought the Holocaust upon ourselves? That's what the white supremacists say. Nice try.

But it turns out that Hagee isn't just an anti-Semite wrapped in the Israeli flag. He's also harshly anti-Catholic:

The president of the Catholic League blasted John McCain on Thursday for accepting the endorsement of Texas evangelist John Hagee, calling the controversial pastor a bigot who has "waged an unrelenting war against the Catholic Church."

But Catholic League President Bill Donohue said in a statement Thursday that Hagee has written extensively in negative ways about the Catholic Church, "calling it 'The Great Whore,' an 'apostate church,' the 'anti-Christ,' and a 'false cult system.' "

"Senator Obama has repudiated the endorsement of Louis Farrakhan, another bigot. McCain should follow suit and retract his embrace of Hagee," Donohue said.

I mean, we all know that Bill Donohue is an ultra-liberal apologist for terrorism, but that's still a pretty strong rebuke.

And unlike Farrakhan, whom Obama never sought out, we now know that McCain has been seeking support from Hagee for over a year now.

So will we see as much outrage over this endorsement as we did over Farrakhan?

Somehow I doubt it.

The Country The Republicans Defend

The TNGOP wants you to know that THEY, not the Democrats, are the true defenders of Israel in the U.S.

Just so we're perfectly clear, the TNGOP is supporting a country that:

--Has had some form of universal health care coverage pretty much from the beginning. In 1994, they passed the National Health Insurance Law, which provides for universal coverage through (GASP!) an income tax!!

--Is a world powerhouse when it comes to embryonic stem-cell research. The Israeli government fully funds stem-cell research because nearly all branches of Judaism agree that a) an embryo less than 40 days old is not a "life" and b) that using embryonic stem cells for research is preferable to keeping them frozen or throwing them away. Hey Christian Right, this is what your donations to Israel are going towards!

--Actually believes that gays and lesbians deserve full rights! They allow gays to serve openly in the military, prohibit discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, allow gay adoption, and even though gay marriages are not performed in Israel (and neither are any other forms of civil marriage), the Israeli government will recognize gay marriages performed in other countries, and extend to those couples all the benefits of marriage. In addition, they hold the ONLY gay-pride parade in the Middle East, even holding it in Jerusalem a few years ago. Oh and by the way, Ehud Olmert's daughter is openly lesbian.

--Not only allows but EXPECTS women to serve in combat positions in the military.

So, here are my questions:

1. Why do the Republicans support all this in Israel but not here?

2. If they actually don't support all of this in Israel, isn't that an admission that they don't support Israel as it is now, but instead their own vision of Israel, one where there are only evangelical Christians and no liberal Jews?

"We're All Out To Get Her"

Holy crap, I guess the Tennessee Guerilla Women were right! There IS a huge media conspiracy against Hillary Clinton, as the brave feminist journalist Samantha Bee exposed last night:



I do have to wonder if the TGW will take this as seriously as they did the "culture/media critics" of Saturday Night Live.

Two Conservatives

Today, William F. Buckley passed away. He was flat-wrong in some instances, but he was also the rare politico who could argue for conservatism eloquently and thoughtfully, without resorting to personal attacks or Bible-thumping. For that, he will be missed.

Another conservative, TNGOP communications director William Howard Hobbs, went off the deep end in a glorious fashion today and showed everything that is wrong with modern conservatism.

Read the Nashville Post article for background, and see these Volunteer Voters posts for the fallout.

I'm not going to rehash all the details of what happened today, it's all clear to see. I'm just going to add that it was bad enough that John McCain and the RNC both had to step in and tell them to knock it off. I'll be very surprised if someone doesn't get fired within the next week.

But by the way, TNGOP, an e-mail is now making it's way through the Nashville Jewish grapevine, where news travels faster than it does through the AP wire. The subject of the e-mail?

"The TNGOP Thinks Jews Are Stupid."

Because you do. You wrote that press release and its subsequent defenses in the hopes that Jews would be scared off, that we wouldn't ask questions, that we would just see the words "Farrakhan" and "Hussein" and not dig any deeper.

And on that note, it's curious how you focus on Obama's unusual middle name to appeal to Jews. Do you have any idea how many American Jews have either been forced or pressured over the years to change their names to make them sound more "anglicized"? My original family name is not Gold, it's Stalowitz. It was changed at Ellis Island. Granted, I like Gold better, but y'all have some nerve trying to tell Jewish voters that Obama should have changed his name to make it more "safe" politically.

It's Exhibit A of your attempts to make Jews into single-issue voters, only caring about Israel and willing to believe any lie about it.

And as long as I am a living, breathing human being, I WILL NOT allow that to happen.

Jews, African-Americans, And Obama

I did not watch the Democratic debate tonight, for the most part. I was watching as the UT Volunteers became the latest victims of Memorial Magic, losing 72-69 to Vanderbilt.

But during halftime, I decided to flip over to the debate for a few minutes. Call it a VERY strange coincidence, call it fate, call it divine intervention, but I turned on the debate just as Tim Russert was asking Obama about Louis Farrakhan and what Obama can do to reassure Jewish-Americans:



(UPDATE: Here's the transcript of that question)

RUSSERT: What do you do to assure Jewish-Americans that, whether it's Farrakhan's support or the activities of Reverend Jeremiah Wright, your pastor, you are consistent with issues regarding Israel and not in any way suggesting that Farrakhan epitomizes greatness?

OBAMA: Tim, I have some of the strongest support from the Jewish community in my hometown of Chicago and in this presidential campaign. And the reason is because I have been a stalwart friend of Israel's. I think they are one of our most important allies in the region, and I think that their security is sacrosanct, and that the United States is in a special relationship with them, as is true with my relationship with the Jewish community.

And the reason that I have such strong support is because they know that not only would I not tolerate anti-Semitism in any form, but also because of the fact that what I want to do is rebuild what I consider to be a historic relationship between the African-American community and the Jewish community.

You know, I would not be sitting here were it not for a whole host of Jewish Americans, who supported the civil rights movement and helped to ensure that justice was served in the South. And that coalition has frayed over time around a whole host of issues, and part of my task in this process is making sure that those lines of communication and understanding are reopened.

But, you know, the reason that I have such strong support in the Jewish community and have historically -- it was true in my U.S. Senate campaign and it's true in this presidency -- is because the people who know me best know that I consistently have not only befriended the Jewish community, not only have I been strong on Israel, but, more importantly, I've been willing to speak out even when it is not comfortable.

When I was -- just last point I would make -- when I was giving -- had the honor of giving a sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church in conjunction with Martin Luther King's birthday in front of a large African-American audience, I specifically spoke out against anti- Semitism within the African-American community. And that's what gives people confidence that I will continue to do that when I'm president of the United States.

Most people will probably only remember this for the "renounce vs. reject" line (which, you have to admit, is Hillary's "it depends on what the definition of 'is' is" moment). But what Obama said to me, in this answer, was something incredibly profound.

It is not enough, when you're talking about Jewish voters, to just brag about your record on Israel. That might be good enough for the single-digit percentage of Jewish Republicans who have a vested interest in driving a wedge in the rest of the Jewish community, and it might be good enough for the media, who paint us as single-issue voters for simplicity's sake. It also may be good enough for a few Jewish "leaders" who are too afriad of sacrificing their political positions to hold candidates accountable on any issue but Israel.

But for the rest of us, it's not enough. And Obama gets that. So Bill Hobbs, you can keep talking all you want about how Jews should vote for the Republicans because they're "better on Israel" (even though what they are is better on the Likud vision for Israel, not Israel as a whole), but I'll vote for Obama because he's better on ALL issues of importance to Jews. He proved that with his answer on the civil rights movement.

The relationship between Jews and African-Americans was so strong during the civil rights movement. I've often heard the story of 19 rabbis coming to Alabama in 1963 from all over the country to participate in the Birmingham campaign with Dr. King, stating in no uncertain terms that after the atrocities of the Holocaust, Jews could not keep silent over the injustices of Jim Crow. But for a variety of reasons, that relationship has weakened over the past few decades.

I truly believe that Obama can be the one who will rebuild that bond. He can bring together two groups who should be natural allies in the fight against discrimination and injustice.

And maybe I am just part of "the cult", but this answer confirmed for me why I, as a Jewish-American, would follow Barack Obama to the ends of the earth.

I Can Has Superdelegates?

Just when you thought this campaign season could not get any crazier, I would like to announce that the LOLcats have officially endorsed Barack Obama and have put up a new website, Yes We Can Has. Definitely check that out, and also check out LOLbama.

Extending The Olive Branch To Knoxville

Tonight, the new #1 team in the country, the University of Tennessee Volunteers, will travel to Nashville to take on the #14 (or #18, depending on which poll you believe) Vanderbilt Commodores.

Now, I come not to trash-talk the Vols, but to praise them!

Until I got the email with this campaign sign from my father over the weekend, I had no idea that Phil Fulmer was interested in running for public office! I think it's great that the UT Athletics program is so interested in giving back to their community.

So with that, I'd like to officially endorse Phil Fulmer for Knox County Sheriff!




V! A! N! D! Y! Vandy, Vandy, Oh Hell Yeah!

There You Go Again, Senator Clinton

We've been told that most of the primaries that Obama won on Super Tuesday, and since then, didn't matter for one reason or another. Wait until March 4th with Ohio and Texas, we were told. Those are the biggies, that's going to be the "firewall".

But what if she were to lose Texas? Bill Clinton already said that if she were to lose Texas, she propbably would not be the nominee. So she'd have to concede that she lost a relevant state, wouldn't she?

I’d love to carry Texas, but it’s usually not in the electoral calculation for the Democratic nominee.

Got that? Since she is not going to carry Texas anymore, it is now irrelevant. But as Markos points out, it's not just the Presidential election that matters there, they have a huge Senate race going on too. It is in fact crucial that the Democratic Party pay attention to Texas in this election. But as always, the Clintons are more focused on themselves than on the good of the party.

There you go again, Senator!

The Audacity Of The Republicans

Bill Hobbs and the TNGOP have jumped on the "Obama is a Manchurian Muslim" bandwagon, claiming that Obama must be the candidate of anti-Semites because he was endorsed by Louis Farrakhan. B-Ho also notes the presence of Obama advisor Robert Malley and claims that he is also an anti-Semite, something The Jerusalem Post has thoroughly debunked (h/t Braisted). The implication is, of course, that if you are Jewish and you support Obama, then you are a self-hating Jew. Hell, if you believe at all that the ideal solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict is a two-state solution, rather than one group being driven into the ocean, then you are a traitor to your own religion.

But what did Obama say about Farrakhan's endorsement?

“I decry racism and anti-Semitism in every form and strongly condemn the anti-Semitic statements made by Minister Farrakhan."

Obama has completely repudiated Farrakhan. But here's my question...how come Republicans don't feel the need to repudiate Bill O'Reilly?

Come on, [caller] -- if you are really offended, you gotta go to Israel then. I mean because we live in a country founded on Judeo -- and that's your guys' -- Christian, that's my guys' philosophy. But overwhelmingly, America is Christian.

So Bill Hobbs, do you also think that Jews should move to Israel if we actually believe in the First Amendment and the separation of church and state?

What about Ann Coulter?

DEUTSCH: That isn't what I said, but you said I should not -- we should just throw Judaism away and we should all be Christians, then, or --

COULTER: Yeah.

*********************************

COULTER: No, we think -- we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.

So B-Ho...do Jews need to be perfected? Do you want to throw our religion away and make us all Christians?

I guess it's easier to repudiate the anti-Semitism of a fringe figure like Farrakhan than that of some of the most prominent members of your party, like Bill-O or Coultergeist. You can't criticize them even when they're wrong, they might say something bad about you on Fox News!

And to any other Jews reading this, remember...the Republicans want your money and your votes. They're willing to use Israel as a wedge issue to that end. They do not, however, want you in their country clubs.

Tennessee Guerilla Whiners

I watched the first new Saturday Night Live since the writer's strike this past weekend, hoping that maybe an extended break would result in funnier sketches. It didn't, in fact, it was so not-funny you have to wonder if that show's days are numbered.

But during the "Weekend Update" sketch, host and former SNL writer Tina Fey, made this comment about Hillary Clinton:

'I want to say something about those calling Hillary a bitch. She is a bitch. So am I. So is she (pointing at Weekend Update news host Amy Poehler). Deal with it! 'Bitches get shit done. (Amy says yeah and starts nodding her head in rhythmn and saying more yeahs, uh huhs and a you go girl.) Like back in grammar school, they could have had priests teaching you but no, they had tough old nuns who sleep on cots and can hit ya and you HATE those bitches. But at the end of the school year, you sure knew the capital of Vermont!'

'So It's Not Too Late Texas and Ohio! Get on Board! Bitch is the new Black!'

You know, I may have had a whole lot more respect for Hillary Clinton if this had been her line of defense all along. It's probably the most honest argument for Clinton that's come out of this campaign so far.

But of course, the good and pure feminists at Tennessee Guerilla Whiners Women just HAD to go and ruin it:

And there you have it, what we have learned about America thanks to the historic bid for the presidency in 2008 by a Black man and a woman: Bitch is the new Black. And it's going to take a lot more than sending a Black man to the White House to redeem this sorry nation.

Actually, according to the fashion magazines, navy blue is the new black. But of course, since I just admitted to reading fashion magazines, I'm an even worse feminist than before!

Seriously though, give me a break. So now those of us who don't support Hillary need to be "redeemed"? Are Obama supporters "sinners" against feminism? How shall I perform my penance? Do I need to go and say 50 "Hail Hillary's"?

To me, this line of thinking is about as far from feminism as you can get. Blaming every perceived slight of Hillary Clinton on "the elite male patriarchy" is at this point an excuse more than anything else. You know, I was upset about losing the delegate election this past weekend, but I sucked it up and I'm moving on. If I had pitched a hissy fit right then and there about it, do you think anyone would have taken me seriously anymore?

This line of thinking, that every criticism is sexist and that every problem we have can be blamed on men, does a disservice to professional women everywhere.

The Cost Of Finding Jesus--$175 Million

A few weeks ago, the developers of the proposed Bible Park U.S.A. in Rutherford County insisted that the county would not be held financially responsible should the park go bankrupt in the future...which of course it won't because THE LORD is behind it.

Apparently, these developers have born false witness against their future neighbors:

Developers of the proposed Bible Park USA are counting on financial assistance from the local government to build the $175 million attraction in Rutherford County.

The developers, SafeHarbor Holdings LLC, want to use tax increment financing to create the park. They haven't specified an amount.

"Although tens of millions of dollars in private equity and debt will pay for a majority of the park, the incentive funds will be necessary to deliver a facility of the highest, state-of-the-art quality," developer Armon Bar-Tur said in a statement.

First of all, I'm not going to even go into the church-state complications that arise from such an arrangement, that much should be obvious. The government of Rutherford County had better be prepared to spend at least some of that tax revenue on legal fees from the lawsuits that will inevitably come out of it. To me, this whole proposal smacks of a modern form of tithing.

What they're proposing is that the county government sell bonds in order to help pay for the park, and the money will be repaid through tax revenues the park will generate. One problem--what if the park doesn't generate enough revenue to cover the original investment? Then the county government won't be able to repay the bonds. And then they're screwed.

Tax increment financing has come up several times in the discussion over how to pay for the new Bellevue Mall. At least with a mall, you'd get year-round revenue and a steady source of jobs. With a theme park, the money and the jobs are mostly seasonal. The developers claim that the park will generate $127 million in revenue, but there haven't been any independent studies done. We only have their word to go on, and it hasn't proved to be that credible so far.

I suppose it'd be one thing if the majority of the people in the area supported the project and were willing to take on the financial risk. But they're not, in fact, many people in that neighborhood are vocally opposed to it.

This final comment from Bar-Tur is fairly telling:

"No one wants this project done halfway, least of all the county."

Actually sir, a lot of people in the county don't want this project done, period.

The Sunday Liberal Blog Roundup, 2-24-08

The Sunday "clash of the Titans and we're not talking just politics" edition of the TennViews weekly blog roundup showcasing the best and brightest bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: McCain: the Aftermath: The straight talk express hits a speed bump. Plus, the buzz on the Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries.

• 55-40 Memphis: Clinton supporters are "the Rottweilers of politics." Plus: MO-bama!
• Ablogination: Hang it up, Hillary: Why Clinton should exit gracefully.

• Andy Axel (at KnoxViews): Home-Grown Terrorists Face Federal Charges: Charges pending in mosque firebombing, and how you donate to help rebuild it. Plus: McCain feels for the family.

• Aunt B.: Is helping take care of her dad and reminiscing.

• BlountViews: Liveblogging the TDOT Pellissippi Parkway Extension hearing, and commentary. Also, The Blount County Children's Home is at risk because of politics and development, and new immigration laws are working to create an invisible fence.

• Carole Borges (a new addition to the blogroll and roundup): According to the League of Conservation Voters John McCain has earned himself a big fat zero. Also, the "poverty draft."

• The Crone Speaks: Slave Labor: Moving Down the Economic Ladder: Growing poverty is creating a "slave labor" class. Plus: Some compelling reasons to vote for Hillary, and Bush's support of Musharraf.

• Cup of Joe Powell: Are Connected Tennessee backers a front for AT&T? Plus, the immigration situation in Hamblen County prompts. Rep. David Davis (R, TN-1) to call for Homeland Security intervention. Also, check out this week's Oscar edition of Joe Powell's weekly Camera Obscura series on films and film making.

• Don Williams: An open letter to Hillary’s most ardent Obama bashers: Obama supporters have the high moral ground.

• The Donkey's Mouth: Conservation Voters give high marks to Tennessee Congressional Dems, plus TNGOP's Bill Hobbs says one thing on blogs and another in official press releases. Plus: The nominee must answer to TNGOP Chairwoman Robin Smith.

• Enclave: Questioning Bill O'Reilly's lynching remarks, the Darwinian tone of reporting on Nashville's homeless, and an unnoticed story about the Texas debate.

• Fletch: Gullscapes, Storms on the Horizon, A Dream and the Wind.

• KnoxViews: Campfield reports House wasting valuable time!, lively Texas debate discussion, and a convenience voting project in East Tennessee.

• Lean Left: Kevin: Mixing the Races is a Communist Plot!, KTK: Feeling Michele Obama's frustration, and Tgirsch: Chris Matthew's job is not journalism, it's to stir up...

• Left of the Dial: "I’m glad Bruce Pearl isn’t a cult leader because otherwise I might be selling all my worldly possessions right now."

• Left Wing Cracker: LWC goes to 11 in naming his ten favorite blogs and why.

• Liberadio: Bold general election predictions, Obama robbed in New York, and the year of the underdog in which Democrats growl.

• Loose TN Canon: Wisconsin primary says GAME OVER for Republicans.

• NewsComa: It's not about the sex, it's about the political favors. Plus, blogs are changing the rules.

• Pesky Fly: Nikki Tinker surrogate attacks against Cohen are the moral equivalent of receiving stolen goods, and more on the "are bloggers journalists" question. Plus: How to protest.

• Progressive Nashville: Life after Castro won't begin just yet, psychology of the candidates, and NYT dropped the ball.

• Resonance: Revealing campaign website traffic. Plus, an Obama/Bloomberg insurgency?

• RoaneViews: Thoughts on The Game. Plus: Eclipse of Sanity?

• Russ McBee: Serbian punk nationalists on the rampage, plus some interesting numbers.

• Sean Braisted: It doesn't look like Clinton intends to salvage her dignity. Plus: [R.] Neal over at Knox Views seems perplexed as to why Hillary couldn't "bring on the wonk to expose Obama's lack of depth on policy." This is a fascinating quote to me, because I think it sums up the arrogance of the Clinton camp really well. [..] Hillary is banking on the uneducated white vote to boost her campaign.

• Sharon Cobb: Karl Rove trolling in Alabama, Obama wins the debate, and Clinton and McCain are trying to "boil the hope" out of you.

• Silence Isn't Golden: Some working people are more important to Clinton than others, memo to Hobbs: Better Uses For $8 Million , on O'Reilly's racist remarks silence is complicity, plus Act Now To Save RIF!. Oh, I almost forgot. GoldnI exclusive: Tuke in!

• Southern Beale: It seems John McCain’s "straight talk" is as crooked as a dog’s hind leg. Plus, a bright future for solar energy.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Clinton: Shame on you Barack Obama, Hillary's accomplishments, and Women Have Seen this Movie, We Know the Drill

• TennViews: Pam Strickland is looking for leads for a project on how "health care and legal issues contribute to the cumulative problems of poor children, particularly children of color." Plus: Student voter registration: Yes you can, and, Clinton at the State of the Black Union, and Brian's Memphis showdown preview, with a rundown of what Tennessee had to do, which they did.

• Vibinc: Crunches the delegate numbers and comes to some interesting conclusions.

• Whites Creek Journal: Whites Creek Steve's impressive Great Backyard Bird Count list, plus more commentary on the bill to require DNA testing of fathers listed on Tennessee birth certificates.

• Women's Health News: Rachel critiques CNN's Tips for Savvy Medical Web Surfing with some valuable tips of her own, plus more on DNA testing for birth certificates.

Hillary Clinton's Priorities

We've heard the meme...Hillary Clinton is the "populist" candidate. Obama is the candidate of the "latte-drinking Birkenstock-wearing elitists", while Hillary is the candidate who has been fighting for working people for the last 35 years.

Apparently, to Hillary Clinton, some "working people" are more important than others. If you work as a high-powered political consultant, then Hillary Clinton will let you know how much she appreciates you. If you work in a small business and were hired to help the Clinton campaign at some point, well then you're just flat out of luck.

It was just $2,492.63, a pittance, really, alongside million-dollar television buys and direct mail drops.

But with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s bid for the Democratic presidential nomination enduring a rough patch, Peter Semetis, the owner of a deli and catering business in Lower Manhattan, had been following the news and growing increasingly worried that he was not going to be paid for the assorted breakfast trays, coffee, tea and orange juice he had provided the campaign for an event in mid-December.

***********************

Mr. Semetis catered a Clinton event, a rally she did not attend, at the offices of District Council 37, the public employees’ union, on Dec. 15, charging the campaign $2,300, plus $192.63 in tax. Officials promised him that his business, Sale & Pepe Fine Foods, would be paid by check or credit card in a couple of weeks. After a few weeks passed, he started calling to see about the holdup.

Often he never reached anyone; other times he was told that his bill had been put through to the campaign’s headquarters in northern Virginia.

That was more than two months ago, and the Clinton campaign apparently didn't write this guy a check until they were contacted by the New York Times. And he's not the only one:

The Hotel Ottumwa, a family-owned hotel in Ottumwa, Iowa, played host to an event attended by former President Bill Clinton on New Year’s Eve for several hundred people and had been trying for almost a month and a half to get paid.

The hotel had initially asked for payment of the $9,125 bill up front but kept being put off. But the owners figured that if any political campaign was good for it, Mrs. Clinton’s would be.

“People were a little more comfortable with Clinton because they’ve got money,” said Kay Whittington, one of the hotel owners.

Last week, the owners heard about an item on the local news about a Des Moines cleaning company, Top Job Services Cleaning, which had been trying unsuccessfully to recoup $7,500 from the Clinton campaign.

Hotel Ottumwa’s owners contacted the television station, which broadcast the hotel’s story right away. Both businesses were paid last week.

So the moral of the story is, if you want the Hillary campaign to pay you what you're owed, you better find someone from the media to guilt them into it. Here's a list of some other companies who have not yet been paid, and don't seem to yet have media representation.

But there's a very good explanation for all of this, isn't there? I mean, the campaign is in financial straits right now, right? Even the top staffers have to take pay cuts, right?

Through the course of the primary, [Mark] Penn's consulting firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, has been paid more than $4.3 million by the Clinton campaign, according to a review of campaign finance filings.

I'm thinking that might have something to do with their financial troubles. If you're spending millions of dollars on consultants and not getting primary victories to show for it, well then yes, you're going to have money problems.

These are Hillary Clinton's priorities, laid bare for the world to see. She'll spend millions of dollars on consultants, but leave the people helping her on the ground in the dirt. As President, her priorities will be her campaign donors and the power-brokers in the big states, not those of us "irrelevant" voters.

Democratic Convention Delegates

First of all, congratulations to the two men and one woman who were elected to be Barack Obama delegates from the 5th Congressional District. You always hear unions aren't as strong or as organized in the South, so it's good to see that meme being proven wrong.

The TNDP Executive Committee will convene in two weeks to select 14 (I think) additional at-large delegates. If anyone from the committee is reading this, you will be getting an e-mail from me very soon. There are supposed to be at least nine young Democrats in the delegation, and none were elected at our convention, so I hope you will consider me as an at-large delegate. In less than three years, I've worked for Jim Cooper, Harold Ford, Karl Dean, and for the Obama campaign here in Nashville, so I feel that I am uniquely qualified to represent Tennessee as a young Democrat.

I will not publicly comment on this any further until after March 8th.

Bob Tuke Officially In

The official announcement will be later in the week, but Bob Tuke announced today at the 5th Congressional District Democratic Convention that he will enter the race for U.S. Senate against Lamar! Alexander.

He noted that Lamar! has been a disappointment as he's become so tied to the Washington Republicans, and even more so now that he's in the leadership there. Tuke stated that the people of Tennessee deserve a choice, and it will be between a Washington Republican and a Democratic Marine.

I don't know about y'all, but I'm fired up and ready to go...for Bob Tuke!

One Final Appeal

Hi.

If you're coming to the Fifth Congressional District Convention tomorrow, I'll see you there.

Read this doc on Scribd: leverett-gold

When There's A Will, There's A Destroyed Talking Point

I often feel the need to remind everyone that I don't hate all conservatives, just the obnoxious ones. I greatly respect conservatives who can make an argument for their political positions without falling back on the Bible to do so. I enjoy reading the Economist and I can see the logic in arguments made by columnists such as Andrew Sullivan and George Will, even though I usually disagree with said logic.

George Will penned an article today about the "fairness" of caucuses as opposed to primaries, and how Hillary Clinton supporters feel that Obama has "stolen" the nomination from them by winning a lot of the caucus states, which are less "democratic." That is in itself a counterpoint to a well-known Clinton campaign talking point, that Obama only wins states with open primaries--he also wins the states where most of the participants are hardcore Democratic party activists! Hillary supporters, as we all know, feel that they are somehow entitled to the nomination because of her "experience."

And then, George Will delivers quite possibly the most perfect smackdown of the "experience" talking point I've seen yet:

She is 60. She left Yale Law School at age 25. Evidently she considers everything she has done since school, from her years at Little Rock's Rose law firm to her good fortune with cattle futures, as presidentially relevant experience.

The president who came to office with the most glittering array of experiences had served 10 years in the House of Representatives, then became minister to Russia, then served 10 years in the Senate, then four years as secretary of state (during a war that enlarged the nation by 33 percent), then was minister to Britain. Then, in 1856, James Buchanan was elected president and in just one term secured a strong claim to the rank as America's worst president. Abraham Lincoln, the inexperienced former one-term congressman, had an easy act to follow.

Obviously I disagree with parts of that; I think Dubya also has a pretty strong claim to being America's worst President. And remember, Dubya came into the White House with plenty of experience. He was a two-term governor of a large state.

How'd that work out again?

The Party Of The Klan

Republicans love to argue that African-Americans should support them because after all, the Democrats were the party of slavery 150 years ago. They love to make backwards assertions such as "Democrats are the real racists!", and they'll even go so far as to claim that Martin Luther King, Jr. would be a Republican if he were alive today.

But if Republicans are not racist, then what to make of this quote from Bill O'Reilly, regarding Michelle Obama's recent statements that the Republicans didn't like?

And I don't want to go on a lynching party against Michelle Obama unless there's evidence, hard facts, that say this is how the woman really feels. If that's how she really feels -- that America is a bad country or a flawed nation, whatever -- then that's legit. We'll track it down.

In 1860, Southern Democrats may have been the party of slavery. In 2008, the GOP is the party of the Ku Klux Klan.

This isn't "code." This isn't a "whistle-word." This is blatant racism, this is a threat to the spouse of a Presidential candidate, a threat to do to her what was done to terrorize and oppress African-Americans for the better part of a century. Bill O'Reilly is raising the possibility of lynching an African-American woman for expressing her opinion. Why not just call her an "uppity Negro" while you're at it?

Republicans, I'm going to say the same thing to you that I said about Nikki Tinker--silence is complicity. You don't fully denounce this, then you're in effect saying that you also think there's a need to form a lynching party.
g
And by the way...to every "feminist" who goes apeshit over every criticism of Hillary Clinton, I would hope you'd be just as outraged over another female being threatened with violence. You are, right? RIIIIIIIIGHT?

Act Now To Save RIF!

As I posted last week, Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), a crucial literacy program that has been funded continuously by Congress since 1975, is set to lose all of its national funding...a paltry $25 million in a budget of $3.1 TRILLION.

Since the original action alert, over 30,00 letters have been sent to Congress urging them to restore funding for RIF. Now, RIF is urging you to contact your Congressperson to ask them to sign the "Dear Colleague" letter being circulated right now.

Many members of Congress have already signed onto the letter. Lest you think this is just some "entitlement" program that only Democrats support, look at the bipartisan support this has received, and look at some of the Senators who have signed on:

Sessions, Jeff - AL
Lugar, Richard - IN
Roberts, Pat - KS
Bunning, Jim - KY
Dole, Elizabeth - NC (one of the authors of the "Dear Colleague letter")

Yeah, these are really a bunch of socialists!

And look at who signed on in the House...Ron Freaking Paul, for Heaven's sake! I thought he was opposed to all government spending, but I guess even he realizes that this program has gotten results.

Steve Cohen in Memphis has already signed on, but everyone else PLEASE contact your Representative and Senators!

But That Destroys The Whole Purpose

The new Harris-Teeter grocery store that they're building on West End near St. Thomas Hospital is going to have a very interesting new feature:

Similar to a conveyor belt, the cartveyor will transport shopping carts to shoppers’ cars. Shoppers will be able to ride alongside their cart and be dropped off, Scott Reynolds, development director of Giarratana, said.

To me, having a conveyor belt destroys the whole purpose of going to the grocery store. I push a heavy cart around for half an hour and claim that as my "cardio" for that particular day. So if I were to use one of these conveyor belts, that would disrupt my workout!

The other thing that annoys me is that I know that inevitably, someone will be just slowly gliding along on this cartveyor through the parking lot right as I'm trying to get in or out of the parking spot they're right in front of!

Livin' On A Prayer

The Tennessean has this article for tomorrow up about how Democrats may improve their chances among evangelical supporters. They profile one man who used to be a hardcore evangelical Republican:

Oden said he began to rethink his political priorities after his wife, Christine, died of cancer, leaving him with two young daughters to raise and “$400,000 in unpaid medical bills.”

Previously, he’d only worried about “gay rights and abortion” on election day.

Now health care has jumped to the top of his list of political issues.

“I saw that there were a lot more issues to worry about,” Oden said.

He was drawn to Obama’s proposals on health care, aimed at helping “people who have fallen through the cracks.”

The article goes on to suggest that while evangelical voters by and large still care about gay marriage and abortion, many of them have expanded their agendas to include issues like health care and poverty, explaining Obama's appeal.

I have to say, I'm a little torn.

On the one hand, as an Obama supporter, I'm obviously pleased that these people have come on board. I think it proves Obama's appeal and electability vis a vis Hillary, and will ultimately be a step in rebuilding a long-term Democratic majority.

However, it makes me nervous at the same time. Because too often, "reaching out" to evangelicals has translated into throwing our progressive ideals under the bus in a blatant attempt to pander. We saw in 2006 that when Democrats stick to their guns rather than apologizing for them, we win. No one likes a weak capitulator.

So my message to evangelicals who want to support Obama is...welcome aboard. We do need you in this fight. And if you're willing to put aside your differences on abortion and the other wedge issues because you think Obama is the best on the issues that really matter (i.e. Iraq, health care, the economy), then more power to you. That line of thinking is how you disprove the media narrative of evangelical voters as a monolithic voting bloc that ONLY cares about God, gays, and guns.

But don't come in here thinking that you're going to change Obama's position on choice or gay rights. In fact, you'll change those over my cold, dead body. You can be an equal part of the coalition, but you will not get veto power.

So if you're an evangelical willing to look at ALL of the issues and concluding that Obama is the best choice for America, then we welcome you with open arms. But if the wedge issues that Republicans have pushed on you for so long continue to be deal-breakers, then don't worry. John McCain is ready to throw you a nice juicy rhetorical bone in the hopes that you'll keep your mouths shut for the next few months.

Better Uses For $8 Million

Interesting presser from the TNDP, regarding who's funding the push against the meeting hall being built at the Governor's residence and how many legislators he has in his pocket:

Millionaire car dealer Lee Beaman, who in late November financed a smear campaign to attack the Tennessee Residence restoration and renovation project, around the same time gave $18,000 to partisan politicians and organizations that now are attacking the project.

*********************

In November, Beaman gave $10,000 to MUMPAC, a political action committee controlled by House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower, of Bristol, who now is leading attacks against the First Lady and the Residence. Then in December, Beaman gave $6,000 to the Tennessee Legislative Campaign Committee, an account controlled by the Tennessee Republican Party, which also is attacking the First Lady and the project.

*********************

In addition to gifts to Mumpower and the state GOP, Beaman in December gave $1,000 to State Sen. Jack Johnson, a Williamson County Republican who suddenly has voiced opposition to the Residence project. In August, Beaman gave $1,000 to State Rep. Beth Harwell, who also now opposes the project despite voting for budgets that included funding for it.

So if this is all true, then it seems like the opposition to the project is nothing more than the work of a guy with a NIMBY problem and a whole lot of money.

TNGOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs' response on Volunteer Voters:

We [The TNGOP] can think of a dozen better uses for $8 million than a party hall that will be used only by Tennessee’s political and business elites.

That got me thinking...what would the better uses for $8 million be for the TNGOP? I can think of a few:

• Do the right thing and use the money to benefit the taxpayers. Spend $8 million on improving schools, roads, and state infrastructure. Hahaha! No, seriously....
  


• Hire more spin-masters and people to leave anonymous comments on blogs. Come on people, Hobbsie can't do this all on his own!


• Buy more hairspray and makeup for Marsha Blackburn. $8 million might fund that for a whole month!


• More money to round up and deport all the illegals. Just as soon as they're done building all the Republican-owned McMansions in Brentwood.


• Fully fund the Bible Park, U.S.A. in Rutherford County. They're fighting for Lee Beaman because he has a legitimate grievance. But if you don't want a theme park smack in the middle of your residential area, well then you're just a bad Christian.
  


• If Vietnam veteran Bob Tuke starts getting too competitive against Lamar!...Swift-Boaters Against Tuke. You know they would sink that low.


• Start a special police task force so that in case of an emergency, the government can assume full control of your uterus. Please note that any attempt to specify what exactly constitutes an "emergency" will only help the terrorists.
  


• Wage a write-in campaign for Fred Thompson in November. Better that than voting for John McAmnesty!


• Pour more money into the foster-care system to allow children to remain wards of the government, thus saving them from the horrors of being adopted by a loving, monogamous same-sex couple.


• Start funding a Voter ID card program, like Hobbs wanted. That way, they'll know exactly whose votes to suppress.


• Hey, whoever gets the compromising photos of Stacey Campfield will have to be bought off somehow...

Stacey Campfield Does Not Want To Discuss This

Rep. Stacey Campfield does not want homosexuality to be discussed in public schools. We all know that.

So I'd be willing to bet he doesn't want to discuss this story about a Bush-appointed federal judge either. And I'd be willing to bet that no other Republicans want to either:

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Robert Somma, 63, pleaded no contest in Manchester District Court to a misdemeanor first-offense driving while intoxicated charge.

**************

Somma, who lives in Newbury, Mass., fumbled in his purse for his driver's license before handing it to the officer who later arrested him, the police report shows.

Wait, his purse? Wha...

"I won't comment on the attire, either," said Gregory T. Muller, an attorney with the city solicitor's office.

What attire? Go on...

He was arrested last week in Manchester, N.H., after staggering out of the Breezeway, “New Hampshire’s favorite gay bar,” in a black cocktail dress, fishnet stockings and high heels.

Isn't that awfully convenient for the Republicans? They push legislation saying we shouldn't talk about homosexuality right around the time one of their own gets arrested coming out of a gay bar in drag.

But of course, the Republicans won't want to talk about this. Just like they never want to talk about Mark Foley, Larry Craig, or any of the others. Far easier to just sweep it under the rug than to admit the damage that the politics of sexual repression has caused.

The Sweetest Endorsement Yet

We all know that the March 4th primary, when Texas and Ohio go to the polls, is going to be huge. But two other states have their contests on that day too, Rhode Island and Vermont. And Barack Obama just got quite possibly the most important endorsement from Vermont:

The founders of Ben & Jerry's endorsed Barack Obama on Monday, and lent his Vermont campaign two "ObamaMobiles" that will tour the state and give away scoops of "Cherries for Change" ice cream.

"If there was ever a need for real change, and if there ever was a candidate to inspire us and make that happen, it's now," said Ben Cohen.

Added Jerry Greenfield: "Barack is showing that when you lead with your values and follow what you have inside that good things will happen."

I like the way this Cherries For Change ice cream sounds (UPDATE: Hillary Clinton has just accused Barack Obama of plagiarizing "Cherry Garcia" ice cream). But I can think of other flavor names...Yes We Candy or Chocolate Chip Change We Can Believe In.

Just out of curiosity, how do we think Hillary is going to try and claim Vermont is not significant? Think about it...Vermont has a primary, not a caucus. It's a solid-blue state. It doesn't have large numbers of African-Americans. So what angle will they take on that one?

BREAKING--Tennessee No Longer Matters

After Super Tuesday, there was great rejoicing in Tennessee knowing that Mark Penn and the Clinton campaign had deemed us "significant." Because Hillary won our state, we mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Unfortunately, the Clinton campaign has decided that we actually don't matter, after all:

A co-chairman of Hillary's Michigan campaign and has a line that's sure to drive a whole bunch of red state governors up the wall:

"Superdelegates are not second-class delegates," says Joel Ferguson, who will be a superdelegate if Michigan is seated. "The real second-class delegates are the delegates that are picked in red-state caucuses that are never going to vote Democratic."

Hear that, future Clinton delegates from Tennessee? Your own campaign just called you a second-class delegate. We are a red state, after all.

I presume this means that Hillary Clinton will be skipping the Texas primary on March 4? They're a red state that will most likely not go Democratic this year. Why bother trying to win there then, if they're delegates are "second-class"?

If it hasn't been made clear before, this should now answer the question of what the Clinton campaign thinks of Democrats in red states, and of what sort of "party-building" they'll be doing once they're in the White House...none at all. Because outside of the urban power bases, the rest of the party simply doesn't matter.

Can't wait to see the spin on this one...

UPDATE: Check out this diary on DailyKos with pretty-colored maps showing how many states Obama would swing to the Democrats, and how many Hillary would lose.

UPDATE 2: Just wondering...what about red-state superdelegates? Are they second-class too, or do they matter more?

Jews Against Frist

While poking around on the GOP website, trying to figure out what the deal is with their super unpledged delegates, I found this interesting event on their calendar for Thursday:

RJC Evening with Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist

The RJC is of course the newly-formed Nashville Republican Jewish Coalition. Sounds like a good time if you're willing to shell out $30 to go hear Bill Frist pander.

But there's one Nashville Jew who won't be in attendance at that event. This is someone who enthusiastically supported Bill Frist's intial bid for U.S. Senate in 1994, both with his vote and with campaign donations. You see, this person is a physician, and truly believed that Bill Frist, as a fellow physician, would understand what doctors go through and could use the bully pulpit in the Senate to help doctors and to improve healthcare in this country.

But this physician quickly grew disenchanted with Bill Frist. He watched as Senator Frist became nothing more than an apologist for the GOP policies that hurt doctors rather than helping them. He saw Frist meekly stand by as the Republicans waged a War on Science, hurting the ability of doctors to research new treatments to diseases (most of the new technology in this physician's particular field now comes from Europe, China, and Israel). He was also disappointed that Bill Frist did nothing to rein in the predatory insurance companies that not only hurt patients, but hurt doctors with premiums that can be raised on a whim. Bill Frist made all the right noises on tort reform, but many physicians, including the one I'm speaking about, have come to realize that tort reform is a Band-Aid solution that does not address the root of the problem, which is the insurance companies.

I personally witnessed this doctor's evolution. He is my father, after all.

So, Republican Jews, have a good time at your party. Just remember what Bill Frist has (or, more accurately, hasn't) done.

Superman That Delegate

There's a debate going on between the Republicans and the Democrats in Tennessee over whose system of selecting delegates is more democratic. TNGOP Chairwoman Robin Smith (or should I call her "chairman", like the way Marsha Blackburn goes by "Congressman", because making the title feminine is somehow too PC?) argues that their system is better, because they don't have "superdelegates" who could override the pledged delegates at their convention.

Of course, that's not true. They have 168 unpledged "party leader" delegates, three from each state and territory. These delegates are different from superdelegates...how, exactly? Aren't they the exact same thing? And it bears noting that these party leader delegates are the national committee members and state chairs from each state--people who are elected by party activists, not by the population at large.

Democratic superdelegates, on the other hand, are by and large people who ARE elected by the general public--governors, Senators, and Congresspeople. And because of that, in a race as tight as this, they will have to weigh their own opinions against how their district voted. Jim Cooper and Steve Cohen both endorsed Obama, and their districts went heavily in that direction. However, someone like Lincoln Davis, whose district went 4-1 for Hillary and who will probably face a tough re-election bid, would have to very strongly consider the will of his district in determining who he votes for at the convention (although this is mostly a hypothetical, I doubt very strongly Davis would support Obama anyway. I imagine a "pro-war" Democrat would probably back Hillary instead).

But in determining which party has a more Democratic process, why just look at the superdelegates? Look at the processes of electing pledged delegates. The Republicans just slap everyone on the primary ballot. That's a more efficient way of doing it, but it basically guarantees that only those with the most name recognition or those with the resources to actually campaign will get elected. Think about it...if you were an ordinary Republican voter, loyal to the party but by no means an activist, you would have stepped into the voting booth, and which names would have immediately jumped out at you? Chip Saltsman, Jim Bryson, Ron Ramsey? The county and district-level conventions that the Democrats hold may seem confusing, but at least it gave me an opportunity to introduce myself to voters and get my name out there. Everyone has an equal shot in that system.

By the way, why does Chip Saltsman even have to run to be a delegate? Wouldn't he get to go to the Republican Convention just based on being Mike Huckabee's chairman?

So to conclude...Republicans are dishonest, please vote for me to be your Obama delegate at the District 5 Convention this Saturday!

See also: The Donkey's Mouth

I Belong To That Jewish Church In Belle Meade

I know what they meant in this story. And obviously, it's great that they're rebuilding and that the rest of the community is so supportive.

But does anyone else see a "You Are So Nashville If..." entry in this headline on WSMV's website?

Chelsea Clinton Thinks You're An Idiot

Chelsea Clinton at a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin, in response to a student's question about whether her mother regrets her Iraq vote:

“She cast a vote based on the best available evidence. Perhaps you had clairvoyance then, and that’s extraordinary.”

Wow. I can't think of how you could have come up with a more arrogant and rude answer. I may not have as much campaign experience as Hillary's people, but for some reason, I have an idea that insulting the intelligence of someone asking a question (even if you don't like the question) is not the best way to get them to vote for you.

I'm sure the usual Clinton supporters will argue that it should be off-limits to attack Chelsea. And what the Republicans said about her during the 1990s was disgusting. But in this instance, as a grown-up woman, she chose to campaign for her mother. That makes her a political surrogate, and there's no reason why she shouldn't be held to the same standards as the rest of them. She made an arrogant and idiotic statement, and I don't see why she shouldn't be called out on it.

Now, I know that Chelsea Clinton is a smart woman. But perhaps she's not the best at campaigning. Good campaigners don't fall apart at receiving what they perceive as a hostile question, they don't attack the person who asked the question, they keep their cool, no matter what.

(And yes, I just indirectly called Chelsea Clinton unhinged. Have at it, Tennessee Guerilla Women!)

But it's reflective of the entire campaign, is it not? The arrogance, the patronizing attitude, and the belief that they are somehow entitled to the nomination.

So have at it. Go ahead and tell me why it's misogynistic to call Chelsea out on an idiotic statement.

UPDATE: PLEASE read Sharon Cobb's take on this:

After Monica, she found out that playing the victim, her popularity goes up, and it's no different now on the campaign trail.

And yet I've never seen her shed a tear for voting for the war and funding the war and all the innocent blood she has on her hands. Unlike Edwards, who did a major mea culpa for his vote to give Bush the power to use force, Hillary refuses to apologize.

A Clinton admit they made a mistake without a gun to their heads? Never. And that's something the Clintons never get, because they are both just so above it all. We want to hear about their mistakes and see their humanity and accept their sincere apologies for their mistakes because they're human.

But first they would have to admit that they're mere mortals, and not the Clinton machinery they've become.

The Sunday Liberal Blog Roundup, 2-17-08

The Sunday "President's Day Eve and only 337 more days of Dubya" edition of the TennViews

weekly blog roundup showcasing the best and brightest bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Roger Clemens: It's baseball. Not foreign policy. Not the world economy. Not health care reform. Plus: Chesapeake Primary live blogging

• 55-40 Memphis: Do you believe in magic (reprise)?: Instead of campaigning to his base during the primaries, he played to the general election audience. Why? I'm making a list of theories.

• Ablogination: Voter Considerations: Privacy, is it important to you?: ATT, Verizon, Blue Cross, Homeland Security -- all of them and many more have, are, and will again violate your privacy.

• Aunt B.: Way to Miss the Point: It’s not about who Henry thinks it’s okay, hypothetically, to rape. It’s about who he’s actually willing to screw over in order to advance the Democratic cause.

• BlountViews: Stop using drive-thru windows: Do you realize how much gas you use? Do you realize how much money you waste? Do you realize how much pollution is released in the air when you spend the 5-10 minutes at the drive-thru? Plus: The private property vs. Ridgetop Protection Dance

• The Crone Speaks: Bush Respects the Law?: Human rights and human dignity -- tell that to the millions of people that cannot afford health insurance. Tell that to the millions of people that go to bed hungry each night. Tell that to the growing number of people that are now living below the poverty level. I dare say these millions of people would disagree. Plus: Energy Vampires

• Cup of Joe Powell: Sen. Kilby Reconsiders Dog Laws: He wrote about withdrawing his original bill, and filing a new one, though there are still some issues to resolve... Plus: Will State OK Verifiable Votes?: The new process, however, will not improve your choices nor negate any regrets you might have for the choices you made.

• Don Williams: Are Democrats developing some spine at last in opposing Bush?

• The Donkey's Mouth: Right-Wing Publication Admits Fault in Defamation Suit: Seven years later, the tactics of the right in 2000 are becoming clearer. Plus: A Lose-Lose Position: Tennessee’s senior Senator concedes his own party’s ineffective way of grappling with issues. Bonus: Props to Wade Munday (Warning: HobbsLink)

• Enclave: The One Where I Define "Corporate Money" Against the Rotation of Campaign Spin: Rarely do I find myself in a position where I have to correct flagrant misinformation from fellow supporters of the candidate for whom I voted, but one of those moments is here. Plus: A Relatively Short Primary Did Nothing for Dems in 2004: I might not be anywhere close to panicking about dire predictions of long, divisive primary seasons in 2008. And, a good question: Is there a certain pragmatism among Dems that trumps liberal litmus tests?

• Fletch: Fletch for Congress! Plus: Go Fish, and: Boat and Breakfast

• KnoxViews: Contempt of Congress, Perspective, Clinton's Texas firewall not so protective, and Ethics crusader Frank Buck retiring from the state House

• Lean Left: Big win: This is an important win, because it shows that incumbents can be beaten, that if they stray too far form what it means to be a Democrat, they can be removed from office. Plus: How Clinton’s Actions On FISA Undermine Her Campaign

• Left of the Dial: Interesting media/workplace development plays out on Frank's blog here, here, and here.

• Left Wing Cracker: That's what I get for sending the email out!: This reminds me of something Steve Cohen once said about Phil Bredesen: He's a manager, not a leader. Plus: How do I get this Iraq War charge off my bill?

• Liberadio: Podcast: Super Fat Tornado Tuesday, Media Matters for America Smackdown with Elbert Ventura, and lots more.

• NewsComa: "Oswald Still Dead", and I can’t believe that crap like this still exists but every time I think we have moved forward I’m reminded that we haven’t.

• Pesky Fly: Branston on Matthews: Comparing what Thaddeus Matthews does on his blog (and, indeed what most bloggers -- even the brilliant ones assembled here) to established professional journalists is like comparing Dolly Parton to a male Dolly Parton impersonator singing "Jolene" at the karaoke bar.

• Progressive Nashville: The Obama sugar rush: Change takes more than a powerful speech by one person. Tennessee gets props for education: This report, like others before, demonstrates that our real work in improving education must come in improving the family lives of children.

• Resonance (at KnoxViews): Weather Closings (not what you think)

• RoaneViews: Tommy can you Hear me?: Tommy Kilby is a crucial vote to preserve Tennessee's mountains. Plus: Water we gonna do about it?: 157,000,000 gallons of drinking water leaked out of Oliver Springs waterlines in 2007. That's an astounding figure.

• Russ McBee: The continuing crisis: The charges, the torture-derived evidence, the trials, the rules of procedure, the judge, the jury, the sentences, and the executions will all be carried out conveniently beyond the reach of American civilian courts, the UCMJ, an international body like the ICC, or anything else resembling the rule of law or democratic values... Plus: McCain's hypocrisy on torture

• Sean Braisted: Damn Pledges: Obama seems to find himself in a bit of a pickle. While he is on track to be the most well financed, both by big and small donors, candidate in US History; there is a bit of a snag. Plus: Top 5 bad-ass Presidents of all time

• Sharon Cobb: JEWS HATE Jesus: I call on Nikki Tinker to denounce antisemitism in all forms, especially against her main opponent, Congressman Steve Cohen. Plus: He's Black. She's A Female. Just In Case You Failed To Notice...: How ironic is it that the Democrats have an African American man or a woman who is going to be their nominee, and their main focus is they have an African American man or a woman who is going to be their nominee?

• Silence Isn't Golden: Thoughts On Steve Cohen: Steve Cohen has become the victim of a disgusting anti-Semitic attack. The only difference was that I figured it would come from the far-right white evangelicals, rather than from where it did. Plus: Nikki Tinker's "Denouncement": I'm not buying it. Bonus: Can I Just Say...: You know you're a Vanderbilt fan when you see they're up by 41-11 at the half, and your first thought is, "How are they going to blow it this time?"

• Southern Beale: Why I Hate Insurance Companies: Asking doctors to snitch on their patients kinda drives a wedge in the doctor-patient relationship, doesn’t it? I don’t know too many doctors who went to medical school so they could serve the needs of for-profit insurance companies, not people seeking healthcare.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Obama Media Blitz:: Is Obama a long overdue charismatic leader? Is he the star of a cult of personality? Or is Obama the Messiah? Plus: Obama Attacks: Suggests Hillary Has Mood Swings: Hillary launches attacks when she's feeling down? Periodically? Okay, I get it.

• TennViews: Tennessee Voter Confidence Act advances, and: TN Senate Republicans out of step on Pre-K

• Vibinc: Opines from the road on a variety of happenings this week.

• Whites Creek Journal: Clinton V Obama?: I'm one of those rare voters who thinks about what will happen if this candidate or that candidate gets elected. Plus: With Us...Or Against Us?: Have you made a call to customer service? Any customer service? About your television, computer, washing machine, or your Verizon or AT&T telephone service? All of these companies have off shore call centers. Congratulations! You've made the list. We all have. This is a travesty and an orgy of Constitutional crime.

• Women's Health News: Raising Women’s Voices: A Health Care Reform Conference I’d Love to Attend: The MergerWatch website is well worth a look if you’re interested in how religious health restrictions affect not just reproductive health, but end-of-life decisions, HIV/AIDS care, LGBT care, medical research, and other issues.

Seriously, What's The Matter With Kansas?

I love politics. I love sports. I don't love it so much when they mix:

Kansas activities officials are investigating a religious school's refusal to let a female referee call a boys' high school basketball game.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary's Academy near Topeka on Feb. 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game.

The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs.

Now, I poked around on the school's website, and from what I could gather, they have nuns as teachers. So that argument is shot...the school puts women in positions of authority over boys every day! But I guess it's only acceptable if you're a good Catholic* woman, not some Jezebel who wears pants as a referee!

(*The school is Catholic, but apparently belongs to some weird off-shoot traditionalist movement that is in conflict with the Vatican. Obviously most Catholics are not like this)

The article mentions that one of the punishments that the school may receive is to lose their associate member status of the KSHSAA and to no longer be allowed to play other member schools. Now, I'm sure some idiot will scream about how this is "disrespecting their religious beliefs." But while these people certainly do have a right to their beliefs, organizations certainly have the right to enforce their own rules. And if the school willingly joined the KSHSAA, then they should have to accept the referees given them.

And if not, well then kick them right out. Let them play basketball against the homeschoolers if they want.

Twisting The Logic Into A New York Pretzel

Clinton aide Harold Ickes, on the situation with the delegates in Florida and Michigan:

On Florida and Michigan, the campaign again said voters in those states should not be “disenfranchised” and that the states were important to the Democratic Party's fortunes. Ickes also said Clinton didn't vote on the DNC rules.

But Ickes did. And he voted in August to strip Florida and Michigan of their delegates as a sitting member of the Rules and Bylaws Commission.

“There’s been no change,” Ickes said, adding that he was then acting as a member of the Rules and Bylaws Committee “not acting as an agent of Sen. Clinton. We had promulgated rules -- if Florida and Michigan violated those rules” they’d be stripped of their delegates. “We stripped them of all their delegates in order to prevent campaigns to campaign in those states.”

Let me see if I'm following this logic here. You're worried that voters in Florida and Michigan are being "disenfranchised," even though you voted to do that? And that vote was ok last summer when you were with the DNC, but it's not ok now that you're working for Hillary Clinton and Obama has all the momentum? So you're attacking your own vote?

And instead of whining about this, if you REALLY care about voters in Florida and Michigan, why not push for them to have another contest, when both candidates can campaign within the rules? The DNC offered to pay for Florida to have their primary on February 5 or after, seeing that the Republicans in the Florida legislature were intent on moving the date up. But the Democrats there went along with it, and that's why they lost their delegates. The DNC's offer still stands, so why not go along with it?

Why not just come out and admit that you're trying to break the rules to get the nomination and save everyone the headache of trying to figure out your logic?

He's My Role Model Now!

If Minnesota can have Jesse Ventura and Cahleefornia can have Ahnuld the Governator, why can't Alabama have Sir Charles Barkley?

There's been speculation for several years now that Barkley might run for Governor of his home state of Alabama. Today on CNN, he confirmed that he's bought a house there in order to start fulfilling the residency requirements, and will definitely run in 2014. He used to be a Republican, but has since switched over to the Democrats, and is supporting Barack Obama (UPDATE: The Hillary camp has just released a statement saying that the only retired NBA player who "counts" is Magic Johnson).

And as per usual, he's not afraid to speak his mind:

BARKLEY: ... Hey, I live in Arizona. I have got great respect for Senator McCain. Great respect. But I don't like the way the Republicans are taking this country. Every time I hear the word "conservative," it makes me sick to my stomach, because they're really just fake Christians, as I call them. That's all they are. But I just -- I'm going to vote Democratic no matter what.

BLITZER: All right. One quick point before I let you go. You used the phrase "fake Christians" for conservatives. Explain what you're talking about.

BARKLEY: Well, I think they -- they want to be judge and jury. Like, I'm for gay marriage. It's none of my business if gay people want to get married. I'm pro-choice. And I think these Christians -- first of all, they're supposed to be -- they're not supposed to judge other people. But they're the most hypocritical judge of people we have in this country. And it bugs the hell out of me. They act like their Christians. And they're not forgiving at all.

BLITZER: So you're going to get a lot of feedback on this one, Charles.

BARKLEY: They can't do anything to me. I don't work for them.

BLITZER: You feel comfortable saying all that?

BARKLEY: I feel very comfortable saying I'm pro-choice, and I'm for gay marriage. Very comfortable.

My initial reaction was, "Oh no, he probably killed his campaign before it even started."

But then again, how refreshing this is! A Southern Democrat who's not afraid to be a progressive, who's willing to have a little bit of a spine!

Granted, he's probably in a better position to change people's minds because of who he is. But I'll take it! Besides, six years is a lifetime in politics, who's to say Alabama won't be ready for him by then?

Obviously A Sexist Pig

This guy is obviously a sexist pig. Why does he want to hold women down and make them do his bidding, like pay the rent?

Rochester doctor Terry Bennett has finally been paid by the Clinton campaign for rental of a Portsmouth building he owns. Now, he says he will donate the $500 check to Barack Obama’s campaign.

He said he’s doing it because he likes Obama, but also as a statement on the way he feels he was treated by the staff of the Clinton campaign.

"It was the last straw for Hillary Clinton for me,” said Bennett.

Bennett said he believes the only reason the Clinton campaign paid for renting his 236 Union St. storefront is because he became the “squeaky wheel,” contacting the Herald last week in frustration because he had not been paid for more than a month.

“Thirty days went by, with no replies to phone calls, e-mails, no replies at all. Suddenly a newspaper article comes out. It was the worst publicity they could get. Three days go by and I get a check,” said Bennett.

This guy is such a misogynist. How dare he hold Hillary Clinton and her campaign responsible for their actions? And he's supporting Obama, which obviously means that he fears strong women.

But it gets worse. He actually expected them to...clean! What a chauvinist!

Not only was he not paid, but Bennett said the campaign volunteers left the premises trashed. He said there were fast food containers all over the place and lots of campaign signs left behind.

What a horrible, elitist, selfish man. It is because of people like him that women are oppressed!

UPDATE: You know who else is sexist? Texas's system of allocating delegates:

But Mrs. Clinton faces another problem there in the form of that state’s unusual delegation allocation rules. Delegates are allocated to state senatorial districts based on Democratic voter turn-out in the last election. Bruce Buchanan, a professor of political science at the University of Texas at Austin, noted that in the last election, turnout was low in predominantly Hispanic districts and unusually high in urban African-American districts.

That means more delegates will be available in districts that, based on the results so far, could be expected to go heavily for Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton, Dr. Buchanan said, “has got her work cut out for her.”

Nikki Tinker's "Denouncement"

Following my comment yesterday on Nikki Tinker's failure to denounce the anti-Semitic flier being circulated in Memphis about Steve Cohen, I received an email claiming that she had, in fact, denounced it on the TV news.

After searching the websites of every news outlet in Memphis for about half an hour, I finally found one little blurb on WMC-TV:

Nikki Tinker, the only candidate who has announced she's running against Cohen, said she had no knowledge of the flyer.

"I would not stand for any attacks on the Jewish faith or any other faith for that matter and I just want to make sure everybody knows that Nikki Tinker doesn't play those types of politics," she said.

So everything's ok now, right?

Not quite. I'm not buying it.

First of all, she's still claiming she doesn't know anything about it. How is that possible, THREE DAYS after the fact, after it's been in both the Commercial Appeal AND the Washington Post? This claim only adds to my suspicions. And how can she denounce something that she knows nothing about?

But, assuming that she does know about it and is just lying, please note that she didn't say that she DOES NOT stand for these attacks, only that she "would not". That's not a denouncement, that's a hypothetical. She didn't denounce it, but now she won't have to say anything else about it.

To me, this feels way too much like Bob Corker and "Hey Harold, call me" for comfort. In both cases, the "denouncement" didn't come until well after everyone had seen the offending ad. Just enough time for it to have the desired effect, until you can come in and try to claim the moral high ground.

I'm not buying it.

Another Milestone

Just a cool item I noticed on my SiteMeter...I noted last week that I've begun averaging over 100 hits a day for the first time in six months. Well, at some point on Thursday, I will receive my 10,000th hit.

It's not your typical Valentine's Day gift, but I'll take it!

Thoughts On Steve Cohen

Around the time I started working for the Ford campaign in 2006, and we were looking at the possibility of having the first African-American Senator from Tennessee, I began to wonder if we'd ever see the day when a Jew could get elected to statewide office here. I concluded that it probably wouldn't happen--you could find a Jewish politician who was one of the most ethical and competent people you'd ever meet, but he or she would be sunk by the innuendo of "Well obviously they don't share our CHRISTIAN values." It's not that Tennesseans are anti-Semitic, it's that religion makes way too convenient of a wedge, especially in a state where Jews are too small of a minority to have a truly strong political presence.

Then Steve Cohen got elected to Congress. It didn't quite dispel my pessimism--Memphis is a little different from the rest of the state, if you haven't noticed--but it gave me a tiny sliver of hope. Tikvah, if you will.

But now we're seeing my original theory coming to fruition. Steve Cohen has become the victim of a disgusting anti-Semitic attack. The only difference was that I figured it would come from the far-right white evangelicals, rather than from where it did.

"Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen and the JEWS HATE Jesus," blares the flier, which Cohen himself received in the mail -- inducing gasps -- last week.

Circulated by an African-American minister from Murfreesboro Tenn., which isn't even in Cohen's district, the literature encourages other black leaders in Memphis to "see to it that one and ONLY one black Christian faces this opponent of Christ and Christianity in the 2008 election."

**********************

Cohen tells the Sleuth it was "shocking" to receive the flier, "particularly coming from an African-American the week after Dr. King's birthday. This was just such an ignorant and racist and prejudiced type of flier -- it's hard to fathom we're in the 21st century," Cohen says.

Now, I know I shouldn't read too far into this. This was obviously the work of a crazy person. And as much as the Republicans will want to use this as a way to say, "See, African-Americans hate Jews!", I still believe that whole notion is a huge exaggeration. I know Nashville and Memphis are very different, but it's never been my experience.

But obviously, someone has an interest in trying to stir up religious and racial tensions. And someone stands to benefit--Cohen's primary opponent Nikki Tinker:

The question goes to the character of the woman who wants to represent the 9th District, and 9th District voters deserve an answer. But Tinker declined to return a phone call about the flier.

"Of course we wouldn't have anything to do with that," said Tinker spokesman Cornell Belcher, referring to a flier that has been denounced by the Anti-Defamation League.

" ... We'd be interested in denouncing this sort of nonsense as well but, again, we haven't seen it."

Here's my question--how can they NOT have seen it? It's been all over the Internet for two days now. And even if they hadn't, they could have found it in about two seconds, and called the Commercial Appeal back. But still no comment.

I'm not saying I know for sure that Nikki Tinker is direclty involved. I am saying that silence is complicity.

We're A Movement, Not A Cult

The LeftWingCracker just sent me this interesting post from Sara Robinson. It's all you need to respond to those who say that Obama supporters compromise a "cult".

She provides one very comprehensive checklist that names 18 behaviors that define a cult:

1. internal control
2. external control
3. wisdom or knowledge claimed by leaders
4. wisdom or knowledge credited to leaders
5. dogma
6. recruiting
7. front groups
8. wealth
9. sexual manipulation
10. sexual favoritism
11. censorship
12. isolation
13. dropout control
14. violence
15. paranoia
16. grimness
17. surrender of will
18. hypocrisy

See the difference? The Church of Scientology, for example, fits rules 1-6, 8, 11-13, and 17, just for starters. In contrast, I don't know if you could attribute ANY of those behaviors to Obama supporters.

So if "Obamania" is not a cult, then what is it?

What's going on is that we've finally got a Democratic candidate who understands exactly how the Republicans did it. As I pointed out my very first week on this blog, the GOP didn't come to power by talking about plans and policies; they did it by using strongly emotional appeals that grabbed people by the gut and didn't let them go. Theirs was never a movement based on reason. It was, from the very beginning, a movement of hearts and souls. And it was that deep, emotionally sustaining commitment that drew people in so deeply that they were willing to give 25 years of their lives to bringing about the New World Order their leaders promised them. We may hate what they've accomplished -- but we're never going to be able to do better until we can inspire that same kind of passion for change.

And Obama's doing just that. He's tapped into a deeply pressurized seam of repressed fury within the American electorate, and he's giving it voice, a focus, and an outlet. Are the results scary? You bet: these people want change on a scale that much of the status quo should find terrifying. Are they unreasoning? The followers may be -- but as long as their leader keeps a cool head, that's not as much of a problem right now as we might think; and the heat will dissipate naturally in time. Is this kind of devotion even appropriate? You bet. You don't get the kind of deep-level change we need without first exposing and channeling people's deep discontent. Obama's change talk may be too vague for most people's tastes (including mine); but the fact is that if we're serious about enacting a progressive agenda, rousing people's deepest dreams and desires and mobilizing that energy is exactly how it's going to happen. And Obama's the first candidate we've had in a generation who really, truly gets this.

The energy of Obama's rallies scares the hell out of reason-bound, well-educated liberals; but it's nothing new to anyone who's spent time in the overheated revival-meeting atmosphere that conservative politicians have used to rouse their voters for decades. Stirring up their base in exactly this same way is how they won. Our chronic inability to move people like that is why we've continued to lose.

Al Gore and John Kerry couldn't mobilize people like that. Obama can. It's not good enough to simply say you're going to enact progressive policies, you have to have the movement behind you to give you a mandate. Hillary can't offer that, Obama can.

Can I Just Say...

You know you're a Vanderbilt fan when you see they're up by 41-11 at the half, and your first thought is, "How are they going to blow it this time?"

But they didn't. #19 Vanderbilt 93, Kentucky 52. We avenged a loss on the road with a whipping at home, now let's do that to Tennessee and Florida!

UPDATE: Oh, and the Predators beat the hated Detroit Dead Things 4-2. Between them, Vandy, and Barack Obama, this has been a MUCH better day than yesterday!

Oy, They're Killing Me!

A lot of issues about Jews and politics are circulating around today.

First, Bob Krumm wonders if John McCain might not attract more Jews to vote Republican, seeing as how he doesn't as many of the distasteful qualities of the theocons like James Dobson:

When I originally wrote about the Ari Fleischer event, I wondered aloud why there weren’t more Jewish Republicans. The first comment was from a local Democrat who argued that James Dobson and Ann Coulter were “off-putting to the tribes of Israel.” If that’s the case, the 2008 Republican nominee certainly isn’t off-putting.

While much has been made of the idea that a McCain nomination puts Hispanic voters into play, so too might he help Republicans gain Jewish votes.

Two problems:

• First, McCain is going to need those theocons if he plans on winning in November. He's going to need the Christian Right to turn out in droves to beat the high turnout the Democratic nominee will get. So while being a "maverick" is all well and good, he's going to have to pander to these people at some point, either directly or by putting Mike Huckabee on his ticket.

• Second, McCain is prone to saying stuff that a lot of Jews will disagree with. For example, the bit about how we're going to stay in Iraq for 100 years. Bear in mind that 77% of American Jews (INCLUDING 65% of Jewish Republicans) believe that the Iraq War is a mistake. How many more of those gems will McCain drop during this campaign?
  

Bottom line--Jewish Republican voters will remain somewhere in the single-digit percentages.

The second item of Jewish interest from today comes out of Memphis, with a rather anti-Semitic flier being circulated saying that Congressman Steve Cohen and the Jews hate Jesus and calling on Memphis voters to support the "black Christian" candidate (in this case being Nikki Tinker).

It appears to be the work of one crazy guy out of Murfreesboro, so I wouldn't read too much into this in terms of relations between Jews and African-Americans in Memphis. There's no indication as of yet if anyone involved in the Tinker campaign had a hand in this, as strangely worded as their denial was. Although it does make you wonder if they will attempt to drive a wedge between Jews and Christians as this race heats up.

Get Back In The Kitchen!

According to some people's logic, upon seeing the exit poll results from Virginia, it is clear that almost 60% of female Democrats in Virginia actually hate women and are terrified at the idea of a strong woman. 60% of female Democrats in Virginia believe that a woman's place is in the kitchen rather than in the White House.

Or, you know, it could be that 60% of female Democrats in Virginia believe that Barack Obama is the best choice for President of the United States and that you shouldn't pick a candidate based on their gender.

UPDATE: You know how the conventional wisdom states that Hillary does better among women, Catholics, and voters without college degrees? Not in Virginia.

UPDATE 2: Women in Maryland are also self-haters.

Final Law School Status Update

Even though I haven't heard back from every school I applied to yet, I looked at the remaining schools and took a hard look at a) the odds I had of getting into those schools and b) whether I really wanted to go there anyway. So at approximately 4:30 p.m. Eastern time today, I made up my mind about where I'll be next year.

I decided to go to a Top-20 law school that is in a culturally-rich and diverse city. I decided to go to a school that has top-notch programs in public interest law and intellectual property law, two areas that I'm interested in. I decided to go to a law school that would allow me to practice either in the Midwest or in the South someday. I decided to go to a law school that I figured must be ok if the building it's located in is called Anheuser-Busch Hall.

And I decided to go to a law school that gave me a very generous scholarship offer.

So with that, next year I will be attending Washington University in St. Louis.

And Missouri will no longer be a swing state by the time I'm done there!

A Rant, Part 2

So I just got back to my apartment about 45 minutes ago. I left Nashville at 7:20 this morning, got to Philly ok but had a fairly long layover. My flight to Ithaca was supposed to leave at 1:45. 1:45 became 4:00. I landed in Ithaca around 5:15, got my stuff and went out to the parking lot. It was probably the coldest day I've seen here since freshman year, it was around 13 degrees and the wind chill was well below zero. I got to my car, turned the key...nothing. The extreme cold of the weekend had killed my engine. A man nearby wanted to help, but neither of us had jumper cables. So I called Triple-A, but had to wait almost an hour for them to get there. And after that, I had to drive around Ithaca randomly for 30 minutes because they told me to keep my car running.

And on top of ALL of that, I come back here to find out that the one law school I was "supposed" to get into wait-listed me instead.

So what have we learned this weekend?

--U.S. Air is a blot on the American aviation industry.

--It's all but certain that I'm going to Wash U at this point, I don't expect to get into most of the schools I'm still waiting to hear from.

--Regardless of where I end up, I need to go to law school in a place that doesn't get this cold. Yes, I know St. Louis gets hit with snow pretty badly on occasion, but it wouldn't be anything like this.

--What I REALLY need to do, and maybe I'll do this over the summer, is take some sort of auto mechanical class. Nothing too technical, I just need someone to show me how to do things like give my car a jump and change a flat. I don't mind calling Triple-A when I have those problems, but it probably would have been a good idea to have known how to do that in this situation.

Anyway, I'm done, I'm going to bed. Tomorrow's a new day, a day that involves the Westminster Dog Show, the Hollywood round on American Idol, Vandy vs. Kentucky on ESPN, and of course, Obama winning the Potomac Primary!

Classic

"Like Hope, But Different." I think I almost like this video as much as the original one!

A Hesped For Tom Lantos

(Note--"hesped" is the Hebrew word for eulogy)

Congressman Tom Lantos of California has passed away at the age of 80 from cancer of the esophagus. This was man who went to the gates of Hell and saw the very face of Evil, but survived and devoted his life to making the world a better place.

Lantos, who referred to himself as "an American by choice," was born to Jewish parents in Budapest, Hungary, and was 16 when Adolf Hitler occupied Hungary in 1944. He survived by escaping twice from a forced labor camp and coming under the protection of Raoul Wallenberg, the Swedish diplomat who used his official status and visa-issuing powers to save thousands of Hungarian Jews.

Lantos' mother and much of his family perished in the Holocaust.

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He was a strong supporter of Israel and a lead advocate for the 2002 congressional resolution authorizing the Iraq war, though he would come to be a strong critic of the Bush administration's strategy there. In 2006 Lantos was one of five members of Congress arrested in a protest outside the Sudanese Embassy over the genocide in Darfur.

*************************

In October 2007, as Foreign Affairs chairman, Lantos defied administration opposition by moving through his committee a measure that would have recognized the World War I-era killings of Armenians as a genocide, something strongly opposed by Turkey. The bill has not passed the House.

*************************

"Morally, you are pygmies," he berated top executives of Yahoo Inc. at a hearing he called in November 2007 as they defended their company's involvement in the jailing of a Chinese journalist.

*************************

Oseh shalom bim'romav, hu ya'aseh shalom aleinu, v'al kol Yisrael, v'imru amein.

May the Father of peace send peace to all who mourn.

Some Good Advice

To my fellow Obama supporters,

Everything is looking positively peachy right now. We did astonishingly well on Super Tuesday, swept this past weekend's primaries, and it's looking as though we'll sweep the Potomac Primary tomorrow as well. The ground game in Ohio and Texas is just starting to heat up, and we will in all likelihood head into those primaries with all of the momentum. We've got money in the bank and delegates on our side. The Clinton campaign is in a state of financial and organizational disarray.

But that is NOT how we ought to be looking at it. Instead, this should be your thought process:

Obama is not even close to winning. He is 800 delegates behind. He is 30 points down in the polls. He is awash in shiftless volunteers with IQs of 80 and facing empty coffers and the phonelines are down and help isn't coming.

That is how you must view this, brothers and sisters. That is how you stay hungry. This is how you stay focused.

Because all of this could change in a minute. Something scandalous could happen, Hillary could have another "New Hampshire tearjerker" moment, the press can turn on you at the drop of a hat. I witnessed it during the Ford campaign, we went from all but having the race sewn up to being broken beyond repair in the span of about two weeks.

So no matter WHAT they're saying about Obama on the news and on the blogs, you still need to be working as hard as you ever have to get him elected.

A Rant

Part of me is really sad to be graduating. I've loved my time at Cornell, and Ithaca has really grown on me in the last three and a half years. I'm a little apprehensive about law school, which I hear requires you to put in actual work (as opposed to college, where you can BS it for the most part).

But there are several reasons why I'll be glad to get the hell out of there. One of those reasons has nothing to do with Ithaca, but rather with Philadelphia.

Right now, I'm supposed to be en route back to Ithaca after spending the weekend back in Nashville. Instead, I'm stuck in the Nashville Airport, waiting for my parents to come pick me up. My flight to Philly fell victim to a ground delay, and was so severely delayed that there was no way I'd make my Ithaca connection. So I have to fly out tomorrow morning, and will miss all my classes tomorrow.

I hate Philadelphia. I hate U.S. Air. I'm just relieved that I didn't check any bags.

I don't know where I'm going to law school yet, but let's just hope it's within driving distance!

Obama And The Jewish Vote

I've received several e-mails from fellow Jewish voters, wanting to know why they should vote for Barack Obama. No one believes the smear e-mails (i.e. Obama is a secret Muslim and an al-Qaeda sleeper cell), but there is a great deal of misunderstanding about where Obama stands on Israel and on other Jewish issues. At least one person said they'd go so far as to vote for McCain if Obama were the Democratic nominee. I'd like to take this chance to attempt to clear up some of the confusion.

First, here is a summary of Obama's record on Israel, from the National Jewish Democratic Council:

Senator Obama has an outstanding voting record on Israel issues. Senator Obama co-sponsored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act. He has joined several letters urging actions on behalf of the interests of the State of Israel, including a letter calling on the European Union to add Hezbollah to its list of terrorist groups, a letter urging President Bush to press Palestinian leadership to bar terrorist groups from Palestinian elections and a letter expressing solidarity with Israel in its fight against terrorism. He has voted multiple times in favor of foreign aid and is a leader in pushing for divestment from Iran.

On January 22, 2008, Obama sent a letter from his U.S. Senate office to the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations calling for the U.S. to strongly support Israel on the U.N. Security Council. An excerpt:

I urge you to ensure that the Security Council issue no statement and pass no resolution on this matter that does not fully condemn the rocket assault Hamas has been conducting on civilians in southern Israel for over two years.

All of us are concerned about the impact of closed border crossings on Palestinian families. However, we have to understand why Israel is forced to do this. Gaza is governed by Hamas, which is a terrorist organization sworn to Israel’s destruction, and Israeli civilians are being bombarded by rockets on an almost daily basis. That is unacceptable and Israel has a right to respond while seeking to minimize any impact on civilians.

The Security Council should clearly and unequivocally condemn the rocket attacks against Israel, and should make clear that Israel has the right to defend itself against such actions. If it cannot bring itself to make these common sense points, I urge you to ensure that it does not speak at all.

[Letter from U.S. Senator Barack Obama to Dr. Zalmay Khalilzad, January 22, 2008]

Obama wrote legislation promoting divestment from Iran. The legislation would clear the way for more states to divest their pension funds from companies that support Iran's oil and gas industry. Iran uses the revenue it generates from its energy sector to finance its pursuit of nuclear weapons and support for terrorist groups. The legislation, according to the Senator’s office, “once enacted, will provide needed information about which companies are supporting Iran's energy industry, clarify that state and local governments have the authority to divest of such companies, and provide legal protection for those governments that wish to do so.” The legislation is being held up in the Senate by a Republican Senator. [NJDC Blog, 8/1/07: http://njdc.typepad.com/njdcs_blog/2007/08/obama-pushes-le.html]

Obama is outspoken about the dangers of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. For example, in November 2007, he stated firmly: “Make no mistake – if the Iranians and Syrians think they can use Iraq as another Afghanistan or a staging area from which to attack Israel or other countries, they are badly mistaken.” [Chicago Sun Times, 3/1/07: http://www.suntimes.com/news/sweet/278222,CST-EDT-sweet01.article]

Senator Obama spoke eloquently about his support for the U.S.-Israel relationship at the 2007 NJDC Washington Conference. An excerpt:

When I am President, the United States will stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel in search of this peace, and in defense against those who seek its destruction …

… Those who have worked with me in Chicago in the state Legislature and now in the United States Senate will testify that I have not just talked the talk, I have walked the walk when it comes to Israel’s security. I think it is fundamental. I think it is something that is in the interests of the United States because of our special relationship, because Israel has not only established a democracy in the region but has been a stalwart ally of ours …

For the full address: http://www.pjvoice.com/v25/25304obama.aspx

To an AIPAC audience in Chicago on March 2, 2007, Obama said, “Our job is to renew the United States’ efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors while remaining vigilant against those who do not share this vision…That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel: our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy. That will always be my starting point.” Continued Obama, “And when we see all of the growing threats in the region: from Iran to Iraq to the resurgence of al-Qaeda to the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah, that loyalty and that friendship will guide me as we begin to lay the stones that will build the road that takes us from the current instability to lasting peace and security.” [Address of Senator Barack Obama to AIPAC, 3/2/07]

The New York Sun – hardly a bastion of support for Democrats – editorialized: “We're no shills for Mr. Obama, but these Republicans [who questioned the Senator’s support for Israel] haven't checked their facts. At least by our lights, Mr. Obama's commitment to Israel, as he has articulated it so far in his campaign, is quite moving and a tribute to the broad, bipartisan support that the Jewish state has in America.” [New York Sun, 1/9/08: http://www.nysun.com/article/69154]

Rep. Robert Wexler – a strong supporter of Israel who endorsed Obama – wrote, “What has always struck me about Senator Obama – and this is one of the reasons I have endorsed his candidacy for the United States Presidency – is that a love for Israel and a desire to keep the Jewish people secure is evident not just in his work, but also in his heart.” [Letter of endorsement from Rep. Wexler]

As you can see, Senator Obama has taken substantive action in support of Israel. And even before he entered the Senate, he had the full support of the large Jewish community in Chicago.

However, I would argue that you shouldn't JUST support a candidate based on their stance on Israel. We all know that Jews are not single-issue voters. Yes, we care about Israel, but if you're not in the process of making aliyah, then I'm assuming you care a great deal about domestic issues as well. Everyone is concerned with the economy, health care, the environment, civil liberties, and a host of other issues. Yet we allow the media to treat us as if we ONLY care about Israel, and many Jewish "leaders" act that way as well. We should not allow the perception to become the reality. It is imperative that Jewish voters look at the candidates' positions on ALL of the issues before making a decision.

Around the country, it's becoming clear that the more Jewish voters learn about Barack Obama, the more they support him. Hillary Clinton easily won the Jewish votes in her backyard, in New York and New Jersey. But Obama won the Jewish vote in two states that Hillary won on Super Tuesday, California and Massachusetts, in addition to the Jewish vote in Connecticut (which he won by a large margin--one of my friends there insists that Connecticut Jewish Democrats are still quite embarrassed by the whole Joe Lieberman debacle).

Finally, I would argue that the best thing the U.S. could do at this point to "support Israel" would be to get out of Iraq. Our continued presence there is not only contributing to a further destabilization of the entire Middle East, but it puts a strain on our resources, preventing us from effectively brokering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or from dealing with Iran. A Democratic President (Obama OR Clinton) would go a lot further in restoring America's standing in the world and allowing us to become an effective negotiator once again. For that reason alone, if you care about supporting Israel, you should vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is and not for John McCain.

The Sunday Liberal Blog Roundup, 2-10-08

The Sunday "Goodbye Super Tuesday, catch your dreams before they slip away" edition of the TennViews weekly blog roundup showcasing the best and brightest bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Caucuses in Florida and Michigan?: The big failure here is with the state and national parties, who betrayed their voters by failing to properly negotiate over the timing of the primaries., plus: Bottom Line: There's one fundamental problem with a McCain/Huckabee ticket: McCain is really old, and Huckabee is really crazy.

• 55-40 Memphis: Electability: I believe that it is much harder to get a woman elected president today than a person of color, all else being equal. As widespread as racism is, sexism runs even deeper and affects a larger proportion of the electorate. Compounding the problem: We are much more attuned to racism, and quicker to call it out, than we are to even blatant sexism. I'd like to see a woman as president as much as anybody would. In any other circumstances, I'd say let's go for it. But Hillary isn't just any woman, she's a Clinton. ... Those polls just confirm what I already know in my heart. 2008 is not the time, nor is Hillary Clinton the candidate, to make the presidential election a feminist cause.

• Ablogination: Death to the Right Wing Fringe: You will no longer find personal gain wrapped in swaddling clothes. You will no longer benefit from dragging Jesus through the political mud, boxing, bagging, buying and selling Him for your personal wealth and power trips. It’s over. You’ve been Left Behind.

• Andy Axel (at KnoxViews): Super Fat Tuesday Clinton Count: This is the rural/urban divide showing up again, and depending on the demographics of the state involved, this can really cut against your candidate. Plus: Tennessee Hearts Huckabee: The evangelicals turn out for the Reverend, throwing a stick in the spokes of the McCain juggernaut.

• Aunt B.: Bill Hobbs Wins ‘Act Like Bill Hobbs Day’ Hands Down!: Bill Hobbs is going to try to pass the Tennessee Democratic Party off as the racist party in our state? The mind boggles. Plus: An Open Letter to the Tennessean: Seriously, if people want to show the world pictures of their dogs, they can get a blog like the rest of us. You, Sirs and Madams, should be a place where I can find out news.

• BlountViews: Blount election day early afternoon report, plus: Finney really REALLY wants to be your state senator

• The Crone Speaks: Here’s An Idea, The Journalists/Reporters Should Fact-Check Themselves Before They Speak/Write: Candidates have to spend hundred’s of thousands of dollars to counter the lies and half-truths with the truth, if they can successfully get out the truth. So, we have these giant media outlets, driving the spending by candidates, another way that media owners have dictated elections.

• Cup of Joe Powell: Election Aftermath: Are Republicans so unhappy over the concept of "conservative purity" that they will sit home this fall and not vote in the actual election? Plus some election live blogging: Hamblen County Election Returns, and an update on the cable cuts: Sea Monster Attacks Internet UPDATE!

• Don Williams (a new addition to the blogroll and roundup): Hillary, Obama, McCain all strengthen their claims to presidency: I’m the first to admit that true substance is scarce in these campaigns. Still, the tone’s changed. Subjects have changed.

• The Donkey's Mouth: Democrats Top Republican Turnout, and: Charmed, I’m Sure: ...who will Rep. Marsha Blackburn support after making three different endorsements already in this race?

• Enclave: "Obama Girl" Didn't Vote for Obama: We can count on younger voters as long as everything stays eye-popping and entertainment-oriented (or there is sex-appeal; cue G4 TV). But I don't seem them turning out in November--regardless of who the nominee is--as strongly as they are in February. The novelty will have worn off of voting by then. Plus: Another Partisan Who Cannot See Beyond Republican Campaign Strategy: It should be perfectly clear to those of us who are not saddled by partisan wishful thinking why Evangelicals would not vote for a Mormon candidate (Mitt Romney). Begging "common cause" assumes that both sides see a cause in common. Evangelicals don't. Also: Happy Anniversary!

• Fletch: The Shacks: It's like a taking a road trip back in time to the 60s before corporate fast food and motels became the norm. Maybe the grass is always greener on the other side, but selling hot dogs by the seashore seems to be an idyllic life.

• KnoxViews (JustJohnny): FL Dems to caucus?: I have been contacted by more than one grassroots organizer seeking support for a push for caucuses here. If FL delegates are to be seated, the DNC appears to be signaling that caucuses are the only way. Plus: An interesting poll on Social Security. And: Super Tuesday Photo Report (by Brian A.), plus: Hung over, exhausted, but the headlines say: Obama, Clinton all tied up after Super Tuesday (Carole Borges)

• Lean Left: A Tie: Last night settled nothing, and its likely that the rest of this month and March 4th will settle nothing as well. It looks as if we are in this for the long haul. Plus: Clinton or Obama?: ...at the end of the day they are just politicians. They are forced to navigate an electorate with diverse and conflicting views and that means compromise and occasionally the failure of policies I hold dear. Also: GOP Losing Evangelicals? (by tgirsh): ...it’s never really a victory when people give up on democracy, and lose faith in the process. And that’s clearly what seems to be happening here.

• Left of the Dial: Super Scary Tuesday: Boy, politics sure took a backseat to Mother Nature last night and this morning for many Tennesseans.

• Left Wing Cracker: Its the Narrative, stupid: Get ready, we are going for a brokered convention. (Jon Carrol) Plus: If Mitt Romney had run this ad, he'd be the Republican nominee! And: A call for help for Tennessee tornado victims.

• Liberadio: Tornado Tuesday Observations, plus: What a tool: There’s simply no other way to react to Mitt Romney’s "suspending my campaign" speech in which he accuses at least half the country of wanting to surrender to terror, having no morals, perpetrating attacks on religion, encouraging sexual promiscuity and pornography, and enjoying an occasional stroll on the Champs-Elysées.

• Loose TN Canon: Can you imagine this guy's finger on the button?: John McCain, who jokes about bombing Iran, is characterized by his fellow Republicans as a "hothead."

• NewsComa: At The End Of Another Political Day: No one never knows in the world of politics. Deals are made. Deals are broken. And the American people don’t know because God forbid we need to know what Britney Spears did today. Plus: The Wind In The Willows: It’s weird covering weather and even weirder when you are covering a primary and weather and a trial with a defendant with a less than stellar personality who was a bit growly. Don’t you love rural media? Tomorrow, I get to go to a car wash that has a pet wash attached to it. I’m not lying.

• Pesky Fly: The White Racist Vote (Jeff): When I look at the Obama campaign, I am most bothered by three things: the apparent encouragement of cultish behavior among volunteers and supporters; the willingness of his campaign and supporters to recycle right-wing Hillary Hate talking points; and his level of support from a media we learned long ago never to trust. This last point should alarm anyone with a brain. Never trust the media or Republicans who offer advice about what the Democratic party should do. Plus: Stupid Democrats: Any Dem (of any stripe) or left-leaning so-and-so who says they'd vote for McCain over Hillary in the General should really consider the state of the U.S. Supreme Court and the fact that the next President will probably get to appoint three new Supremes.

• Progressive Nashville: How Clinton won: Hillary's success so far shows that the tried and true methods of hard work and asking people for votes is still effective at winning campaigns, but it is still vulnerable to a competitor that hits on the right message and has the charisma to sell it. Plus: More voting problems around the country, and: Bob Tuke for Senate?

• Resonance: Promises, Promises (Resonance): It seems we've got some fuzzy math here. $410 billion is 50% of $412.7 billion? I'm no math major, but that just doesn't compute. Plus: Workplace Religious Freedom Act of 2007

• RoaneViews: Help a Neighbor: Let's be there for these people. One day it might be our turn, but that doesn't matter right now.

• Russ McBee: Two short notes on Super Tuesday: This is hypnotic and addictive. Google Maps + Twitter + Twittervision + Super Tuesday = a very cool way to watch what people are saying about today's primaries. Plus: Bush's hypocrisy on earmarks: It took George Bush seven years in the White House to notice that the federal budget contains pork-barrel spending. Purely by coincidence I'm sure, it was not until after the Democrats had gained control of Congress that the president decided to focus his attention on budget items of questionable validity.

• Sean Braisted: Are You A Sexist Pig?: ...its best to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume their support or opposition is in good faith, and not the result of prejudices against a race or gender. Plus: Obama Wins?: While Obama wasn't able to pick up some of the Democratic strongholds on the East and West coast, it appears as if, on a delegate basis, he was victorious. ... Yesterday I stood on the corner of Rosa and Jefferson doing visibility, and it sunk in that while I think Obama could win the general election...he ain't likely to carry much of the Southeast. To be sure, I don't think Hillary will either (except perhaps Arkansas), but some of the reactions from the white drivers really disgusted me to my core.

• Sharon Cobb: Not Every Person Who Doesn't Vote For Hillary Is A Misogynist, And Not Every Person Who Doesn't Vote For Barack Is A Racist, plus: So I'm In My Bathtub With No Water In It: I've got my laptop, cell phone, video camera, battery television and xanax in the tub with me. If you're in middle Tennessee and tornadoes are touching down around you, go to the lowest floor in your home, or if you're like me and don't have a basement, go to your tub and stay away from windows. The severe weather started here in Nashville when Hillary Clinton was announced the winner of Tennessee.

• Silence Isn't Golden: So, In Conclusion (Part 2): Obama won last night because he proved that he can make the Democratic Party competitive in places where it hasn't been lately (especially in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states), while hanging on to Democratic strongholds. Hillary merely proved that she can hold the base. Also: Vote for GoldnI!

• Southern Beale: It’s Always Good For Republicans: Have you seen the latest storyline about Democrats working its way through the media? Apparently, because we have two excellent candidates to choose from in the presidential primary, "Democrats are in disarray"!

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Disenfranchising Hillary's Base: The Undemocratic Caucus: The caucus system is undemocratic. It disenfranchises working class voters who simply do not have the flexible schedules held by the elite class. Unlike the primary, the caucus system does not make voting available all day long to accommodate people with all types of schedules. To make matters worse, most state caucuses do not permit absentee ballot provisions. Plus: NBC Suspends Shuster for Misogynistic Attack on Chelsea

• TennViews: Factchecking the TNGOP: Is it possible to fact check fiction? Plus: Abusive nursing home protection act And: Lieberman no longer a super delegate!

• Vibinc: Super Tornado Tuesday - Live Blog, now from Home!: In weather news the sirens just turned off again, but that doesn't mean anything if there's a tornado like 5 feet from my house...which there isn't yet. Ok, between the polling and reach Haley Barbour is showing his metro-sexual side.

• Whites Creek Journal: Saturday Lazies: John McCain has emerged as the front runner in the Republican campaign to keep the entire Bush administration out of jail.

• Women's Health News: Lipitor Ad Used Stunt Double?: Seriously. Don’t ever rely on advertising to give you accurate medical information or drug advice.

Convention Wrap-Up

Thank you to everyone who attended the Davidson County Democratic Convention today. I know it was crowded in there, but on the flip side, it was great to see so much interest in this election.

If you were there as an Obama supporter and you're reading this, I hope you'll consider voting for me at the Congressional District Convention on February 23rd!

Bob Tuke Not Out Yet

Today at the Davidson County Democratic Convention, my friend Rick Lewis (who had come out to vote for me, not realizing that he can't if he lives in that little sliver of Davidson County that's actually in the Seventh District. Sorry about that!) had a very interesting conversation with former Tennessee Democratic Party chairman and current Tennessee for Obama political director Bob Tuke. Rick wanted to know if there was anyone else considering a Senate run against Lamar! Alexander besides former Green Party candidate Chris Lugo:

ME: Is there anyone else? Any names you can mention?

TUKE: Well, I haven’t completely ruled it out myself.

Wow, that's quite a reversal!

I think Mr. Tuke realizes what I've been saying all along. No, we're not going to beat Lamar! But failing to even put up a challenge is a sign of weakness. Just saying that "we're going to wait until 2010" for the Governor's race is no way to build up a political party.

I hope Bob Tuke does get back in this thing, and I'd be glad to help him out when I'm not busy helping Barack Obama become the next President of the United States!

One Final Reminder

For anyone who is a Democratic voter in Davidson County:

Davidson County Democratic Convention
Saturday, February 9
IBEW Hall, 2001 Elm Hill Pike
Registration begins at 11 a.m., Convention starts (and doors close) at noon.

I am, of course, reminding you about this because I am running to be a delegate, pledged to Barack Obama. We now know that Obama will receive three delegates from TN-05, two male and one female. Seeing those kind of odds, I need all the support I can get, and I would be honored if you'd come.

When you register at the convention, you'll have to sign a pledge stating that you are a Democrat and that you will support the Democratic nominee in November. You will also have to indicate your candidate preference--if you want to vote for me, you should obviously indicate Obama (note: it DOES NOT matter who you voted for in the primary, just as long as you didn't vote in the Republican primary).

Thank you!

Save RIF

As we debate which Presidential candidate would be best for the future of our country, it is important to not lose sight of those who would destroy that future before it even begins.

As many of you know, President Bush just submitted a budget of $3.1 TRILLION to Congress. This budget contains what will be the legacy of this Administration--additional tax cuts for the wealthy and for corporations, and enough money for the Pentagon to bring military spending to the highest level since World War II. On the other hand, 151 programs will be cut or terminated, a third of which are educational programs.

I'm sure the conservatives will just shrug that off as "entitlements" that aren't all that important, and call them a waste of money. But I'd like to tell you about one of those programs that could lose its funding under Bush's budget, and the disastrous consequences that could result.

My mother is the director of the Nashville branch of a national organization called RIF, which stands for Reading is FUNdamental. RIF is best known for a program known as the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program, which distributes 16 million free books to around 4.6 million children per year. RIF volunteers will go into public school classrooms in low-income areas, read to the children, and distribute the books.

Around once a month starting when I was 12, and continuing until I graduated from high school, my mother would pull me out of school early to take me with her to her RIF classrooms, most of which were in North or East Nashville. Growing up as an upper-middle class white girl in West Nashville, volunteering with RIF was probably my first real exposure to the poverty around me, the poverty that some people on my side of town like to pretend doesn't exist. It would break my heart when I gave a book to a child only to hear him or her say that they had never owned their own book before, when I had a huge bookshelf in my room.

When asked why we were involved with RIF, my mother would always repeat, "To whom much is given, much is expected." The words always stuck with me, and they were definitely part of the impetus behind my becoming active in politics.

But RIF isn't just active in Nashville, it does the same for millions of children all over the country. But what does it have to do with the Bush budget?

"President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S.

“Unless Congress reinstates $25.5 million in funding for this program, RIF would not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program is authorized under the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (SEC.5451 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program for Reading Motivation) and is not funded through earmarks. It has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975.

RIF is set to lose ALL of its national funding, just so some corporation can receive another tax cut or that the Pentagon can award another no-bid contract. Sorry kids, since you can't make political contributions, you just won't get your books! Never mind that spending a little bit on literacy and education can prevent the need to spend a lot more on stopping crime, we wouldn't want those kids to get a sense of ENTITLEMENT! We can spend $3.1 trillion, but GOD FORBID we spend $3.1000252 trillion!

One thing I have to wonder is how can Laura Bush stand for this? She's a librarian, is she not? Surely she has to understand the value of programs like this? Yeah, I know I shouldn't wonder anything about these people anymore, but still.

Please take action if you can. Contact your Congress-people and join the Facebook group. It won't matter who the nominee is in November if the future of the country has already gone to hell.

Is Harold Ford Gunning For VP?

Yes, I know that's a rhetorical question. But his recent remarks on why he voted to authorize the war in Iraq in 2002 gave me quite a bit of deja vu, and his framing of the issue is awfully similar to that of another high-profile DLC Democrat.

The remarks, given at a speech at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut:

At Quinnipiac, Ford, a charming story-teller, repeatedly told the crowd that he had been to Iraq six or seven times. Ford was one of 81 Democratic Congressman who voted in 2002 to authorize President Bush to use in Iraq if necessary.

“Reread the resolution from 2002,” Ford said. “It called for an exhaustion of diplomatic options before using force. I don’t regret that vote. I do regret we had a president who didn’t make the right choice.”

Hmm. Curious. So Congressman Ford is claiming that he didn't vote to authorize "the war", but "more diplomacy" before using force? Perhaps "more inspections" as well?

Is any other Democrat who voted for the war using that excuse as well?

This morning on Meet the Press, Hillary Clinton defended her 2002 vote for the Iraq war resolution, saying that she "thought it was a vote to put inspectors back in" so Saddam Hussein could not go unchecked. She insisted that she and others were "told by the White House personally" that this was the purpose of the resolution, and cited President Bush's assurances to defend her position.

Ohhh, so that's where the deja vu came from!

We all know about the close relationship between Harold Ford and Hillary Clinton. So is it any surprise that Congressman Ford is now giving the exact same excuse for voting for the war that Hillary gave? I am racking my brains, but I can't recall him saying anything about this back in 2006. Hell, he was pushing for a withdrawal plan in 2005!

Is this sudden synchronization of his rhetoric with Hillary's a coincidence, is it surprising that it's happening now? I don't think so.

What Makes You Any Different?

State Senator Doug Henry,

You've been my Senator for as long as I can remember. And tonight, I have a question for you.

What makes you any different from the Taliban?

What makes you any different from al-Qaeda?

I am, of course, referring to this comment:

Sen. Doug Henry, an 81-year-old Nashville Democrat, explaining to the state Senate his votes surrounding amendments to the abortion resolution: “Rape, ladies and gentlemen, is not today what rape was. Rape, when I was learning these things, was the violation of a chaste woman, against her will, by some party not her spouse. Today it’s simply, ‘Let’s don’t go forward with this act.’ ”

So let's see--by your definition, it wouldn't be rape if a woman was raped by her husband, and it also wouldn't be rape if the woman wasn't a virgin?

How is that any different from saying that a woman is her husband's property, and that a rape victim "is just a slut who was asking for it"?

How are you any different from the people who insist that a woman is a whore if she doesn't wear a burqa at all times?

How are you any different from the people who say that a man can't be charged with rape unless four other men witnessed it, but a rape victim can be told that she is now worthless and that she should kill herself to restore her family's "honor"?

How are you any different from the people who would charge a woman with adultery and give her 200 lashes simply for being seen in public with an unrelated man?

In short, how are you any different from the people we would call "uncivilized and barbaric?"

Help Memphis Weather The Storm

I've been worried over the last day and a half that the news of the disasters in Memphis and Arkansas and throughout the Mid-South would be buried under the hype of the primaries. Even as we breathlessly analyze the results from every angle possible, we need to remember what's really important.

Here now from Monkeyfister (via LeftWingCracker) are two ways you can help out:

Whilst we're waiting for George's Promised Prayers to roll in, down here in the Tornado-Stricken Mid-South, I might recommend some DIRECT HUMAN INTERACTION.

This Is My Best First Start To Help My Region.

As Scout Prime is to NOLA, I am, suddenly, to the Mid-South area (I LIVE here, and was Live-Blogging these horrible storms all night), and have started to get the help-ball rolling down here. Some of you know where I work. I started a Food Drive there today for the Mid-South United Way Food Bank.

As the area affected is so broad and detached, and everyone in the Country was distracted by politics last night, as yet, there is no central assistance hub set-up. So, at the link, above, you'll find the two agencies with the broadest radius to help the area right now. Both take DIRECT donations.

A small-blog swarm on that post (or this comment) would be greatly appreciated by more people than just me. I can't describe how wide-spread the damage is down here. It's enormous. The Media, per usual, is only just now waking up to the situation, after their Super-Duper-Let's-All-Wet-Our-Pants-Together- Tuesday Political Hangover. Like NOLA, these are REALLY poor folks down here, and have nothing, and nowhere to go.

A short post about this at YOUR Blog, linking either to my post, above, or directly to the two Orgs mentioned in the post above, would sure be a big help, and would be greatly appreciated by many people who are relying on help. They are all that we have right now.

I just donated a deer's worth of ground venison, along with the 100 pounds of rice and quart-sized ziplock bags that they said that they needed at the United Way Mid-South Food Bank, when I phoned them this morning. Their pantry is BARE, and I'll be loading them up with all the potatoes, rice, veggies, bags, and other staples that I can fit in my truck tomorrow.

This is serious Red State country, and a flood of help from the DFH Left would REALLY make a big difference in a number of good ways.

I thank you all in advance.

Click Here for more about what's going on down here. It's all that I am writing about right now. Help is needed.

Your humble peer,

Monkeyfister

Here's how to help:

American Red Cross
Mid-South Chapter
1400 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104
901-726-1690

United Way of the Mid-South phone in a donation at (901) 433-4300.

Programming Update, 2-6-07

I'm coming back to Nashville tomorrow evening for the Davidson County Democratic Convention. Y'all better get ready.

Here are the details (and I will be repeating this several times through Saturday).

Davidson County Democratic Convention
Saturday, February 9, at 12 noon (registration starts at 11)
IBEW Hall, 2001 Elm Hill Pike (near the Obama HQ)
If you want to vote for me, you MUST indicate that you are supporting Obama, regardless of who you voted for in the primary.

I hope you can make it!

So, In Conclusion (Part 2)

Now that I've recovered (sort of) from last night, here's my analysis of the results.

Obama won last night, plain and simple.

Yeah I know, Hillary won the bigger states, it doesn't matter that Obama won more states because Democrats don't do winner-take-all delegate allocation, and it's still unclear how the delegate count is going to shake up.

But look at the states Hillary won. The majority of her delegates will come from states that the Democratic nominee will win in November regardless of who it is--New York, California, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. She also won Arkansas and Oklahoma, which will stay red regardless, and Arizona, which will almost certainly go for McCain in November. The only thing close to a swing state she won was Tennessee, and that's pushing it.

Now look at where Obama won. He won two crucial swing states in Minnesota and Missouri, he picked up red states that are beginning to trend blue (Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico), and he managed to peel off some of the traditional Democratic strongholds from Hillary in Delaware and Connecticut.

Obama won last night because he proved that he can make the Democratic Party competitive in places where it hasn't been lately (especially in the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states), while hanging on to Democratic strongholds. Hillary merely proved that she can hold the base.

Now, as far as the delegate count is concerned, I don't know how that is going to shake out, but the rest of the primaries this month seem to favor Obama. I would like to re-emphasize that Obama won Davidson County by an almost 60-40 margin, so Obama will get more delegates than Hillary from our county and our district (even though I don't have those exact numbers yet). What that means is that if you're reading this and you're in Davidson County, you still need to come out and vote for me to be a delegate! Check the top left corner of the page for details!

(/plug).

UPDATE: Another fun county total--the only county in New York that Obama completely won was Tompkins County, home to our very own town of Ithaca! Basically, the townies never forgave Hillary for voting to authorize the war.

So, In Conclusion (Part 1)

I have a lot of thoughts about what went down tonight. Ultimately, I'm very pleased. However, I'm pretty exhausted right now and I have class at 10 a.m., so I'm going to bed now. I'll post my Part 2 analysis between classes tomorrow, probably around 11:30 ET or so.

Also, I'd just like to thank everyone for reading...according to SiteMeter, for the first time in this blog's six-month's existence, I'm now averaging over 100 hits a day. I know that's not a lot, but considering that it wasn't too long ago that I considered getting 50 hits to be a great day, this is huge for me. Thank you everyone :)

UPDATE: They just said on MSNBC that the going rate for a delegate at this point is roughly $1.6 million. As I am running to be a delegate, a note to the campaigns--please send that money to the GoldnI Law School Tuition/Housing/New Car/New Computer/Shoes Fund. Kthanx.

UPDATE 2: According to TennViews, the final turnout numbers--631,680 Democrats; 558,321 for Republicans. Boo-yah.

Bonnaroo Lineup Announced

Unfortunately, Led Zeppelin will not be headlining Bonnaroo this summer. However, I'll take Metallica and Pearl Jam.

Also coming to Bonnaroo will be Allison Krauss and Robert Plant, Kanye West, Willie Nelson, Jack Johnson, Allman Brother Band, B.B. King, Death Cab for Cutie, Ben Folds, O.A.R., Talib Kweli, and Lupe Fiasco, among others.

I've never gone to Bonaroo before, but maybe I'll have to this year!

Super Tuesday Super Live-Blog

6:52 p.m: It's Super Tuesday, and here's the Super Live-Blog. I've got a bottle of Super Syrah ready for tonight, but I'll have to leave in twenty minutes for my Not-Super sorority dinner. The polls in Georgia close in eight minutes, I'm just hoping we get some Super Results before I have to go.

6:55 p.m: Tweety interviewing Michelle Bernard of Indpendent Women's Voice on MSNBC, she just said that for Democratic women, voting for Hillary vs. Obama is essentially voting for your mother vs. voting for your daughter. That's an extremely interesting way of putting it.

7:00 p.m: Glory, glory to ol' Georgia! MSNBC calls it for Obama, but it's still too close to call for the Republicans, with all three still in the running. I'd like to see exit polls, he needed to win this one comfortably.

7:01 p.m: My predictions: 1 for 1 so far.

7:08 p.m: (Sorry, my Internets went down) African-Americans made up 52% of the electorate in Georgia, with Obama capturing 86% of the African-American vote and 43% of the white vote (much higher than in South Carolina). Nearly half of the white vote 40-59 also went to Obama, even more than the under-40 vote. Also, 66% of voters there believed that Obama is better suited to unite the country than Hillary.

7:16 p.m: Have to run, I'm going to make them put this on at the house I'm going to.

8:22 p.m: You have no idea how fast I ran back here as soon as I got out, I haven't caught my breath yet. But it looks like they're calling Oklahoma and Tennessee for Hillary. Obama is, however, winning in Connecticut. Connecticut, New Jersey, and Illinois for McCain, Massachussetts for Romney.

8:31 p.m: They just called Arkansas for Hillary and Huckabee. Damn, didn't see that one coming.

8:32 p.m: Interesting analysis at MyDD regarding delegate scenarios that uses Tennessee as an example, h/t R. Neal. Obama could lose by as much as 15% in the popular vote, but still tie in the delegate count due to likely victories in the 5th and 9th districts. Come on people, Mommy needs those numbers!

8:35 p.m: Delaware for McCain.

8:51 p.m: The Tennessean is saying that Obama is currently leading in Davidson County. Thank God. I need him to get as many delegates as possible here.

8:53 p.m: Huckabee wins Alabama. He's going to get quite a few delegates out of today. Wow.

8:55 p.m: Obama is winning in Alabama, Connecticut, and Delaware. Hillary winning in Missouri and New Jersey. My friend The Hat Thief is in Trenton now and he says that Obama will definitely get a few delegates from Joisey.

8:57 p.m: Massachusetts for Hillary.

9:00 p.m: New York for Hillary.

9:03 p.m: Delaware for Obama!!!

9:10 p.m: Check this out! Look who's winning in Minnesota...Obama and r0|\| |>@u1!!!

9:15 p.m: A diary on DailyKos up now about the Dem Abroad primary in London. When do I get to go back to my adopted city? And when do I get a t-shirt that says "Obama" on the Tube logo?

9:19 p.m: New York for McCain.

9:20 p.m: New Joisey for Hillary.

9:23 p.m: Not that it means anything, but I'm 9 for 9 in my predictions so far. That includes Tennessee. I figured Hillary would win here, but I knew if I called it, it'd be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

9:26 p.m: Roll Tide! 'Bama for OBama! And I'm now 10 for 10!

9:32 p.m: Shoot, Huckabee is now winning Minnesota. No rEVOLution.

9:34 p.m: Amazing, Georgia is still too close to call on the Republican side two and a half hours after the fact.

9:47 p.m: Tweety just pointed out that large numbers of Democratic voters are college graduates, and if that means the Democratic Party has become "gentrified". What the.....?!

9:48 p.m: Olbermann just showed pictures of the tornadoes in West Tennessee. Damn.

9:51 p.m: Oklahoma for McCain.

9:53 p.m: Looking at the county results--Obama is still up in Davidson County, with 12% of precincts reporting. Obama is also winning in Hamilton, and is very close in Knox. We don't have anything out of Shelby and several West TN counties yet, and I'm assuming that's because of the storms.

9:59 p.m: By the way, those of you in Memphis, please stay safe!

10:00 p.m: Romney wins Utah. Didn't see that one coming either!

10:01 p.m: Missouri and Connecticut still too close to call for the Democrats.

10:03 p.m: North Dakota for Obama! 11 for 11!

10:05 p.m: Utah for Obama. 12 for 12!

10:11 p.m: I would just like to re-emphasize that even though it says Hillary is up 55-35 now, we have NOTHING out of Memphis and several parts of West Tennessee yet.

10:13 p.m: Huckabee is saying "Roll Tide!" and hopes to be singing "Rocky Top" and shouting "Go Dawgs!" by the end of the night too. LOL.

10:19 p.m: My parents just called, they're down in our basement because of the tornadoes. It's going to hit Bellevue Mall, maybe that will solve the problem!

10:20 p.m: Kansas for Obama. 13 for 13. And it looks like it was a rout there!

10:29 p.m: Connecticut for Obama, 14 for 14!!!

10:35 p.m: My parents are now out of the basement. That is far more important than Mitt Romney's speech.

10:39 p.m: Another TN county update--go Chattanooga! With 100% reporting, Obama won 52-44 in Hamilton County. With 80% reporting in Davidson, 57-39 Obama. We're just starting to get numbers in from Shelby, and Obama's up by a lot.

10:41 p.m: A few more counties--Fayette and Hardeman have gone Obama.

10:42 p.m: Huckabee can now say "Go Dawgs," he won Georgia.

10:52 p.m: Presser from the TNDP--Democratic turnout 142,000, Republican 135,000.

10:59 p.m: McCain wins Arizona. Shocking!

11:00 p.m: Obama wins Idaho AND Minnesota! 16 for 16. Why can't I have that kind of luck when NCAA Brackets are involved?

11:02 p.m: California too close to call on both sides. Romney wins North Dakota.

11:04 p.m: Huckabee says on MSNBC that some outlets have called Tennessee for him.

11:15 p.m: Clinton wins Arizona. I'm 17 for 17.

11:16 p.m: 92% reporting in Davidson County, 58-38 Obama.

11:22 p.m: In other important news, the Predators beat the 'Canes 1-0, and they're going to announce the lineup for this summer's Bonnaroo at 12 ET/11 CT.

11:25 p.m: Minnesota and North Dakota for Romney. And Mittens lives to see another day.

11:32 p.m: 37% of Shelby County in now, Obama winning 71-27.

11:47 p.m: 91% of the vote counted in Missouri, only a 1% difference between Obama and Clinton. And from what I'm hearing, not all of the votes in Kansas City have been counted yet.

11:53 p.m: While Obama is speaking, they've called Colorado for him. I'm 18 for 18, day-amn!

11:55 p.m: Obama will win Memphis handily. With only two precincts remaining, 70-28 Obama. H/t LeftWingCracker.

11:57 p.m: 99% reporting now in Davidson, 59-38 Obama!!!

11:58 p.m: Tennessee has now officially been called for Huckabee.

12:04 a.m: Romney wins Montana.

12:17 a.m: California for Hillary and McCain. McCain also wins Missouri. And I'm now 18 for 19, but Obama has pulled ahead in Missouri!

12:29 a.m: Early numbers out of Alaska...1000 people turned out in -30 degrees in Fairbanks to vote, which is nearly 10 times the turnout of 2004. So far it's going overwhelming for Obama.

12:30 a.m: Huh, maybe Mittens may not live to see another day. MSNBC just said that the Romney campaign will be holding "frank discussions" tomorrow about their future.

12:39 a.m: Well, Mittens did win Colorado at least.

12:40 a.m: Obama surges and wins Missouri!! 19 for 20, now just waiting on New Mexico and Alaska.

12:43 a.m: Obama wins Alaska. I don't think they've called New Mexico yet.

1:01 a.m: I'm going to wrap this up now. I'm fairly certain Clinton will win New Mexico. Should that happen, I will have gotten every single prediction right except for California.

My Final Word On The Subject, For Now

There are many reasons why some people *think* I support Barack Obama. I would just like to set the facts straight.

I am not supporting Barack Obama because I identify with him as a "young voter."

I am not supporting Barack Obama because it's the "popular" thing for people my age to do.

I am not supporting Barack Obama out of an irrational hatred of Hillary Clinton.

I am not supporting Barack Obama because I think having an African-American president is more important than having a woman president.

I am not supporting Barack Obama because I'm some sort of DLC centrist.

I am not supporting Barack Obama because I'm not truly a partisan Democrat.

I am not supporting Barack Obama because I would rather compromise and capitulate rather than fight for progressive ideals.

*********************************************

So why am I supporting Barack Obama?

I am supporting Barack Obama because I've never felt inspired by someone the way I've felt inspired by him. It's not just that he's a great speaker, he's one of the few people who can make you want to go out and do something with your life.

I am supporting Barack Obama because he does not come from within the Washington power structure. He will not keep the status quo, but shake it up.

I am supporting Barack Obama because he has organized a campaign from the ground up, using his community-organizing skills to bring in thousands of new volunteers, take the campaign where traditional campaigns don't dare to venture (Alaska, anyone?), and motivated voters to turn out by the thousands. You may call it "hype". I call it "necessary for the long-term survival of the Democratic Party."

Speaking of the long-term survival of the Democratic Party, I am supporting Barack Obama because how many other campaigns would have a 12-year old as a precinct captain?

I am supporting Barack Obama because I believe that Democrats can win elections on a superior message rather than on Karl Rove tactics.

I am supporting Barack Obama because he was the only one who had the foresight to oppose the war in Iraq, and because I believe he will restore America's standing in the world.

I am supporting Barack Obama because his message will bring over independents and even some Republicans to our side, for a working progressive majority.

In short, I am supporting Barack Obama because he has effectively challenged everything I believed to be true about politics. I am supporting him because, as cliche as you may find it, I have come to believe in those three little words...

Yes.

We.

Can.



Now go vote.

P.S. Just a quick note in advance, I will try my best to do a live-blog tomorrow night, however, it may start a little late. Unfortunately, there's a sorority event at which I'll have to make a quick 30-minute appearance (rolls eyes). I think it's ok, we probably won't have the full results until after midnight. I'll try to start this around 8:30-ish Eastern.

State By State Predictions For Tomorrow

You can make of this what you will. I came in third in my Fantasy Football league this year, while my NCAA Brackets went down in flames in the second round. So this could go either way.

Alabama: Obama

Alaska: Obama

Arizona: Clinton

Arkansas: Clinton

California: Obama (see note #1)

Colorado: Obama

Connecticut: Obama (see note #2)

Delaware: Obama (see note #3)

Georgia: Obama

Idaho: Obama

Illinois: Obama

Kansas: Obama

Massachusetts: Clinton

Minnesota: Obama

Missouri: Obama

New Jersey: Clinton

New Mexico: Clinton

New York: Clinton

North Dakota: Obama

Oklahoma: Clinton

Tennessee: See note #4.

Utah: Obama

Note 1: In the way you should always pick a 12-over-5 upset as part of your NCAA Bracket strategy, I predict this one as the shocker.

Note 2: I'm really not sure about this one, it could truly go either way. I call it Obama simply because they have closed primaries and the Democratic voters were smart enough to pick Ned Lamont in 2006.

Note 3: Here's why.

Note 4: I know this is going to sound like a cop-out, but I refuse to predict it for my state, because either way I'll be jinxing it.

So that's my prediction. Clinton holds on to the Northeast (except for Delaware and maybe Connecticut) and the Southwest. Obama, meanwhile, will come very close to a sweep in the South, the Midwest and the Rocky Mountains. I doubt this will be resolved by tomorrow, so...on to Pennsylvania and Texas!!

Bellevue Blues, On The Agenda

Just received an email from Foursquare Properties on when the Bellevue Mall will be discussed at Metro Council...

Some of you have asked if our project will be up for debate on Tuesday, Feb. 5. We have had several very productive meetings with the administration and are thus continuing to work with Metro on the issue of tax incentives for the project. The matter will not be on the agenda Tuesday evening but is expected to be deferred until February 16, at 7 p.m.

Good to know that this hasn't completely broken down yet.

The Campaign Trail Needs A Paper Trail

I won't be able to see this as I'm not coming back to Nashville until Thursday, but if you're around tonight, you should definitely head down to the Belcourt to see a showing of Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections. The showings will take place at 6:30 and 9:00 pm. If you go to the 6:30 screening, there will be a Q&A following the movie featuring our very own Congressman, Jim Cooper, according to the presser:

U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee) will join Filmmaker, David Earnhardt, and Tribune Media Services Journalist, Bob Koehler, for a panel discussion following the 6:30 PM screening of UNCOUNTED: The New Math of American Elections at the Belcourt Theatre on Monday, February 4 - the eve of Tennessee’s presidential primaries.

UNCOUNTED, a feature length documentary from Nashville-based producer/director Earnhardt, clearly proves how the illegal and unethical tactics used to steal elections in recent years still threaten the rights of voters in 2008.

"If you don't know that your vote is counted, and counted fairly, then we have no democracy," states Cooper in the film, "It becomes rule by a small group of elite insiders who manipulate what looks like a democracy for their own advantage."

According to Mary Mancini at Liberadio(!), Tennessee is one of six states at a "high" risk for voting machine mishaps. We use electronic voting machines that do not produce a paper trail, making an independent recount or audit extremely difficult, and making it scarily easy to cover up attempts at tampering with the results. Incidents like Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004 will only become more widespread if this problem is not addressed.

Fortunately, this week the Voter Confidence Act will be making its way into the Tennessee House State and Local Committee for a vote, to mandate that voting equipment in the state produce a paper trail. This shouldn't be a political move, this is our democracy at stake. After all, if you trust the Ping-Pong balls more than the computer to pick the lottery numbers, then why would you trust the computer to pick your President?

Because Jeff Gordon Is Unconstitutional

Hey Ron Paul fans!

Do you want to see r0|\| |>@u1 elected President this November? Do you want an effective way to get your message out, other than, say, spamming comment threads that are completely irrelevant to Ron Paul? Do you believe that there is a massive conspiracy to hold your candidate down that both political parties, every single major corporation, and TEH JOOOS are involved in?

Well, as much as I'd like to tell you all to simply quit'cher bitchin' and put your tinfoil hats back on, I think I've found a more productive solution.

Introducing....Ron Paul Racing!

That's right, some dedicated Ron Paul supporters are trying to get an ad placed on a top-35 car in the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in two weeks. So far, they've raised a whopping $1000 in pledges! But I'm sure the rest of the Paulies will step up with their mad money-bombing skillz really soon.

The rest of you may laugh, but bear in mind, having a Ron Paul car in the race would be REALLY awkward for Fox.

But don't worry, I'll bet there's at least one NASCAR driver who'd be more than happy to add a Ron Paul sticker to his car...

The Sunday Liberal Blog Roundup, 2-3-08

The Sunday "fire up a pot of chili and ice down the keg super tailgating" edition of the TennViews weekly liberal blog roundup showcasing the best and brightest bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Electability: You can argue the merits of one candidate over another, but with three potential Supreme Court appointments waiting for the next president, it is absolutely essential that we elect a Democrat in November., also: The Kennedy Scorecard

• 55-40 Memphis: Can he?: Think about it. If you work in the White House and Bill stops by your desk, will you tell him politely that you take orders only from his wife?

• Ablignation (a new addition to the blogroll and roundup): Barack Obama: America's Only Hope: With the most unfortunate departure of John Edwards from the Presidential race, we now find our Democratic selves left only with the choices the media picked for us....

• Andy Axel (at KnoxViews): McCain, Rewound...: In this process of self-re-invention, McCain is now opposing legislation that he actually championed, or worse, wrote.

• Aunt B.: My Lack of Unbridled Optimism: Since I was six years old, we’ve either had a Bush or Clinton living in the White House or next in line to live in the White House. That’s no way to run a healthy democracy.

• BlountViews (Farmer John): Fred Thompson for President?: I DEMAND A RETRACTION OF THE ENDORSEMENT!

• The Crone Speaks: Some Specific Questions for Clinton and Obama: We are left with a symbolic vote rather than a vote for real progress at a time when progress is needed most., plus: Rightwing World: A trip through the Looking Glass

• Cup of Joe Powell: Debating Politics: Perhaps Ron Paul or Mike Huckabee should consider hiring Britney Spears or Paris Hilton to their campaign staff in order to get some media attention., and A Human Digital Interface (on the Pupblish2 Tennessee election coverage project): It's more than just adding a human editor to search engine algorithms, it's also about how we structure and understand the world around us.

• The Donkey's Mouth: Welcome Huckabee & Co.: The Donkey’s Mouth welcomes Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee to Nashville. ... In case anyone has forgotten, The Donkey’s Mouth brings you this reminder of the last time [Huckabee campaign architect] Saltsman and SALT PAC were in the news...

• Enclave: A Late Breaking Voter Watching the Last Democratic Debate before Tennessee Votes on Tuesday: I wavered and went back and forth, but John Edwards' withdrawal pretty much took my safety net away (although voting for him is still an option for me). So, tonight's debate is incredibly important to my decision on Tuesday. (Ed. note: some good live blogging and commentary.)

• Fletch: Humanscapes, also: North Carolina Doing Its Part to Keep the Great Smokies Smoky

• KnoxViews: Tough choices Americans shouldn't have to make (R. Neal): It is immoral and just plain wrong that anyone in America has to make decisions like this. Yet millions do every day., and: Obama: wrong then or wrong now?, also: Tennessee Feb 5th election certification delay, plus: Yes, We Can (mjw)

• Lean Left: Reagan Worship Good For Progressives? (Kevin): I wonder if the necessity of paying lip service to that ultra-conservative, ideologue-above-all myth of Reagan in order to impress the base makes it harder for Republicans to appeal to moderates in the general election., plus: Voter ID Laws (tgirsch): Last weekend, I pulled a little stunt to make a point about voter ID laws. I chose to use the gun rights movement as an example here, because many of their legitimate complaints about various gun control laws ... apply to voter ID laws.

• Left of the Dial: Just The Two Of Us: An imaginary possible phone conversation between Mitt Romney and John McCain...

• Left Wing Cracker: Maybe he can....: Yes, I have already voted for John Edwards, and I have my reasons. However, for those of you who say that you cannot do that, and that it is down to Hillary or Barack, I will say this...

• Liberadio: Stop Spreading the (Fake) News

• Loose TN Canon: More proof that Bush weakens America: And the GOP front runner McCain wants to stay in Iraq for 100 yrs...

• NewsComa: John Edwards Asks To Remain On Rhode Island Ballot, and: The Reason I Will Vote For Barack Obama Tuesday

• Pesky Fly: Please Obama, win me: Unity is not an issue. And it shouldn't be an issue because it's meaningless at best and possibly antithetical to itself. (Everybody shows up to the kegger happy, but if there's only a six-pack...).

• Progressive Nashville: Progressive Nashville: America's path: But the most important element in determining America's path is the people. , and, Where America Stands: The economy, Values, Health care, and The Truth

• Resonance: Shell Oil Hints At Peak Oil: We now have energy company leaders talking about the upcoming oil supply crunch. Where is the political leadership on this issue?

• RoaneViews: Official Sample Ballot (Corvus): This is an overly complicated mess for a simple choice between two groups of candidates.

• Russ McBee: With Edwards out, things shift: At least until the convention, the race between Clinton and Obama will now shrivel into two camps shouting "Hope!" and "Experience!" at each other, with little discussion of the real problems the country faces., and: Congressional Dems find more streamlined way to cave to Bush

• Sean Braisted: TNR Tennessee Rundown: The New Republic profiles Tennessee's primary today., and: : ...the truth is most people don't pay attention to minute policy differences when choosing a candidate; like it or not, personality goes a long way in making that decision.

• Sharon Cobb: Last Night We Witnessed History: Right now my mind is flooded with all the events of the 60s I participated in, yet I'm smart enough to step to the side and let a new generation of activists take their place in this complex progression., plus: Snoop Dogg Torn Between Obama and Clinton: I know what you're thinking. Where's the punchline, right? ,

• Silence Isn't Golden: California Dreamin', On Such A Winter's Day: And the labor unions are dreaming of the candidate who will best support labor now that John Edwards has dropped out. Who might that candidate be?, and: A Profound Sadness, And Why I'll Always Be A Democrat: I believe that yes, it is my problem when someone in the wealthiest nation in the world can't afford their medications.

• Southern Beale: Iraq 4 Ever: That is why those of us on the left, written off as “defeatocrats” and worse, have been saying all along that we need to cut off war funding. Period.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Hillary Fans in CA: 'Yes, SHE Can!!' (Video): As Todd notes, "her opponents underestimate the passion people have for her at their peril.", and: Obama Attacks Universal Health Care With the Return of Harry & Louise: What the hell is Obama thinking?

• TennViews (Eleanor A): McCain on the Environment: In contrast to the media's saintly image of Republican Senator John McCain, his voting record is that of a Reagan-era, deregulation-happy extremist., and: Democratic Presidential Candidates - Senate Voting Record Comparison (bizgrrl), plus: Super Tuesday poll preview (R. Neal), and finally: Ode to Edwards, a Wednesday roundup of reaction

• Vibinc: The War on Krugman: Working to discredit one of the only consistent liberal voices in the MSM is counterproductive to progressives, and ultimately counterproductive to Obama. Take it down a notch Barak, between this and your rabid fan-boys, you’re not winning any friends, you’re pissing a bunch of us off., and: Sports and Politics: The difference between a national party and a sports organization is that we are the stockholders of the organization. That position gives us more influence in the party than in any sports organization.

• West Tennessee Liberal: Trouble up ahead in '08...: What is wrong with Democratic voters? I feel like we vote to lose...first Gore wouldn't enter the race, and then the party turned on John Edwards, the banner of Democratic Party populism, who was shown to be the only Democratic candidate running who could beat any Republican.

• Whites Creek Journal: Saturday Funnies ("Don't Tease me, Bro!"), and: I hear voices...See 'em, too... (a multimedia roundup)

• Women's Health News: Ridiculous Lawmaker of the Day: Mayhall Wants to Ban Obese from Eating: ...this is so offensive that it barely warrants explanation of the offense. Let’s have a go at it, anyway:, bonus: I’m Cranky, and These Labor Nurses Aren’t Helping

Knoxville News-Sentinel Endorses Obama

It sure took the Tennessee papers long enough! The Knoxville News-Sentinel has given Barack Obama a rousing endorsement:

Obama, 46, was challenged early in the campaign for his lack of experience in Washington, but he has deftly turned that criticism into an asset, pointing out that those who got us into war in Iraq and built the deficit had a wealth of political experience.

He also said that his critics would prefer that he "season and stew a little bit more … boil all the hope out of him, so he sounds just like us."

He also has said the central question is not who is ready on day one of the new presidency but who is right - who can build majorities in both Houses.

So now two major Tennessee papers have released their endorsements, the first being the Memphis Commercial Appeal's endorsement of Hillary Clinton. Hey, Tennessean, we're all waiting on you! I'm assuming that endorsement will come tomorrow morning. Has the Chattanooga Times Free Press endorsed anyone yet, are they going to?

The irony with these two endorsements is that if you believe the polls, Memphis is Obama's strongest base of support, while East Tennessee is better for Hillary. Interesting, then, that the endorsements went opposite ways. Anyone have an idea of why that might be?

UPDATE: The Tennessean will not be endorsing anyone. LAME.

When The Shoe Is On The Other Foot...

Beginning on Monday, same-sex couples in Oregon will be allowed to register as domestic partners. This law is a compromise of sorts--although Oregon has an amendment in its constitution banning gay marriage, the legislature passed this law last year to give domestic partners some common-sense rights, such as allowing them to make medical decisions on each other's behalf. The law was actually supposed to take effect at the beginning of the year, but it's been delayed for several weeks. Why?

The law passed by the 2007 Legislature was to take effect when the new year started, but U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman suspended it to hear testimony about a petition drive that sought to put the law before voters.

The petitions fell 96 signatures short of the 55,179 needed to refer the law to the November 2008 ballot. The petitioners claim that county clerks rejected signatures improperly.

The judge ultimately ruled that the state had applied proper standards in rejecting the signatures, and that the petitions couldn't be considered a substitute for an election. So who was behind the petition drive?

The Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based group that advocates for Christian legal issues, said it would appeal Mosman's ruling.

Does anyone else see the irony here? The conservatives are constantly complaining that efforts to get states to recognize gay rights are helped by "liberal activist judges" who "legislate from the bench", that they rely on "out-of-state interests", and that these efforts go through the courts rather than the voters.

So what happens when the shoe is on the other foot, when the elected legislature approves a gay-rights measure? The Christian Right goes through the courts to try to invalidate it, relies on an out-of state interest group, and tries to get the judge to legislate from the bench!

Oh, the irony.

Law School Status Update

A couple of people have been asking me if I've made a decision about law school yet. I haven't entirely, but right now I'm leaning very strongly towards Wash U in St. Louis. I was really excited about getting into Emory, but without going into too much detail, several things have happened over the last week and a half that have pushed me very strongly back towards Wash U.

I'm still waiting to hear from Vanderbilt, at this point that's the only school I haven't heard from that would probably still sway my decision. They've had my completed application for longer than some of the schools I've already heard from. So they need to hurry up, because the longer they wait, the more I start to think that St. Louis sounds like an excellent place to spend the next three years.

Obamania All Around

Get aboard the Hope Express and let's ride this thing all over the country!

California:

NBC News has learned the MoveOn.org PAC and the California SEIU will endorse Obama. The 600,000-member union had been behind Edwards and has now moved to Obama -- the second reported union to do so. NBC News reported yesterday afternoon that the 200,000-member Transportation Workers Union was set to switch from Edwards to Obama today as well, now that the former North Carolina Senator has suspended his campaign

Also, Barack Obama became the first candidate to receive the endorsement of the Los Angeles Times since 1972. Yes, the L.A. Times was so embarrassed by their endorsement of Richard Nixon that they have not endorsed a candidate since then. Obama has made California history!

Connecticut:

Obama: 48%
Clinton: 44%
Other: 4%
Undecided: 5%

Juuuust outside the margin of error! Connecticut is, of course, right next to New York, so a win here would be a humongous coup.

Colorado:

More people packed into the University of Denver to hear presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) speak on Wednesday than voted in the Democratic caucus in 2004.

Obama told the crowd of about 13,000 in Magness Arena that the Iraq war "should never have been authorized and should never have been waged."

Obama not only filled the arena in Denver, but also the adjacent gym and lacrosse field. Meanwhile, on the Republican end, Mitt Romney is reduced to campaigning at a car dealership.

Hey Hillary...don't mess with Texas!

Over the past seven weeks, that amounts to a 24-point swing in Obama's favor, and Obama is poised to keep gaining on Clinton as election day nears in March 4

And then of course, we have a new poll from WSMV right here in Tennessee:

Hillary Clinton: 36%
Barack Obama: 31%
Undecided: 25%
John Edwards: 7%

As Sean Braisted notes, the trend we see here is that the vast majority of the Edwards vote is now breaking towards Obama. And again, Hillary Clinton cannot be happy about such a high number of undecided voters here.

Combine that with a drastic spike in early voting numbers in Shelby County right after the South Carolina primary, and emerging evidence that Democratic turnout has dwarfed Republican turnout so far, I'm seeing good things happening on Tuesday!

I Wouldn't Have Pegged God As A Pats Fan...

Before we get into the serious news of the day, I have to share this Super Bowl joke that was just forwarded to me:


Three quarterbacks, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning and Tom Brady, go to Heaven to visit God to watch the Celtics play a game. God decides who will sit next to him by asking the boys a question...

God asks Peyton Manning first: "What do you believe?" Peyton thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says, "I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my fans." God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning, and offers him a seat to his left.

Then God turns to Eli Manning and says, "What do you believe?" Eli says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are the fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose, I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing fields." God is greatly moved by Eli's's sincere eloquence, and he offers him a seat to his right.

Finally, God turns to Tom Brady: "And you, Tom, what do you believe?"

Tom replies, "I believe you're in my seat."