Obama, Olbermann, And FISA

I love Keith Olbermann, but if I could offer just one criticism of his show, it's that he's starting to do his "Special Comments" too often. He used to do them very seldomly, so it was a Big Event when he did. Now they're coming up every few weeks, and I think they're starting to lose their emotional punch.

That being said, tonight he perfectly summed up my thoughts regarding Obama and FISA:



Transcript here.

Do I think Obama is doing the right thing here? No, of course I don't. I wish he would stand up and declare that as a United States Senator, he will not stand for this sort of corruption. In the GoldnI Perfect World, Obama would stand with Senators Feingold and Dodd in making sure that this contemptible piece of legislation never makes it out of Congress. Obama wouldn't worry about the Republicans who will scream "weak on terror!", which they'll do no matter what he does.

But we don't live in the GoldnI Perfect World, unfortunately. And in the real world, you have to take what you can get.

I still don't think he has that much to lose by voting against telecom immunity. The Republicans will attack him even if he votes for it (because remember, if he does, then he's just trying to compensate for the fact that he's a scary Muslim who hates America!"). And regrettably, this isn't an issue to which many people are paying attention. But all I can do is keep the faith that Obama knows what he's doing here, that he understands the nuance between civil and criminal prosecution, and that he will fully investigate these criminals once he's in office.

He at the very least has to ignore the rantings of a "partisan witch hunt!" Of COURSE they're going to call it that, but the American people deserve to know the full extent of the Bush Administration's crimes.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere A Sign

I have sort of a strange hobby. I love to take pictures of funny signs and billboards. The next time I make it out to North Carolina, I'm going to drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway with a camera just to take pictures of the street signs (Baby Jane Lane and Apple Dumplin' Trail among them). But today I found two billboards that perfectly reflect the state of our country's economy today.

First, at the old Shell station in Hillsboro Village:



It's true, if you fill up in Green Hills, Hillsboro Village, or anywhere near downtown. I try to avoid filling up unless I'm back in Bellevue.

But I saw an even better one today in Harriman, Tennessee, as we stopped for gas on the way to our meeting in Knoxville. There was a liquor store right next to the gas station, and it had this sign outside, facing the gas station:



"Drink, don't drive." Sage advice in these uncertain times.

Wesley Clark For VP

I'm serious. We need him on the ticket, now:

After saying, "I certainly honor his service as a prisoner of war. He was a hero to me and to hundreds of thousands and millions of others in the armed forces, as a prisoner of war," he added that these experiences in no way qualify McCain to be president in his view:

“He has been a voice on the Senate Armed Services Committee. And he has traveled all over the world. But he hasn't held executive responsibility. That large squadron in the Navy that he commanded — that wasn't a wartime squadron,” Clark said.

“I don’t think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become president.”

Now, Clark certainly isn't "attacking McCain's credentials" as the media has been saying. All Clark said was that he doesn't understand how those credentials necessarily qualify McCain to be President. Of course, I fully expect the Republicans to go ape-shit over this, but I don't recall them having any such problems with it, but I don't recall them having any problems when another Vietnam veteran was attacked even worse four years ago.

The Sunday Liberal Blog Roundup, 6-29-08

The "shoot 'em if you got 'em while Big Brother watches" edition of the random interval Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Wordless Wednesday

• Tiny Cat Pants: Will Campfield ever realize the bitter poetic injustice of his being a servant of the people of Tennessee while at the same time working to deny legal personhood to some of those people?

• Carole Borges: Understanding how these girls think might actually spur people to make changes that would help problem teens. Usually it's easier to just condemn them.

• The Crone Speaks: The average campaign contribution payoff is around $9000 for those dems that changed their vote to support retroactive immunity. Maplight has the list of who made how much. Plus: Countrywide taken to court by the Illinois AG.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: Interview With Congressional Candidate Rob Russell, plus: Super Giant Exxxtreeeeeme Summer Edition Madhouse Marathon... quite possibly the best movie blog of all time and space

• Don Williams: Tell me you don’t believe Barack Obama’s a secret Muslim, or that the "fist bump" thing he and Michelle do contains terrorist overtones. Evidently thousands or millions of people believe such nonsense..., plus: Activists, priests, scholars, artists, musicians, writers, teachers, environmentalists and others from a range of spiritual traditions accomplished much June 21 and 22 as they initiated Peace On and With the Earth, a conference to explore the relationship between peace and the environment.

• TNDP: a new religious left movement?

• Enclave: ...Ben puts words into the mouths of Social Gospelers that they never would have uttered because it is politically expedient for the anti-revenue mob to discredit mobilized progressive Christians with half-truths about who they are and what they want to "steal." Plus, judicial activists legislating from the bench, Part I and Part II.

• Fletch: Tuesday Afternoon

• KnoxViews: Supreme Court rules against Obama!, plus: Authorities shut down largest known TN puppy mill operation

• Lean Left: Heller Open Thread

• Left of the Dial: Should marijuana smoking be allowed in airports before one takes a flight? ...who would you rather sit next to on a flight: a drunk or a stoner? Plus: George Carlin’s Legacy

• LeftWingCracker: You know, two years ago, Harold Ford Junior thought he had HIS race won, too; that didn't work out so well, did it? Obama needs to tighten up, and fast. Plus: George Carlin: Baseball v. Football

• Liberadio(!) interviews David Sirota

• Newscoma: They are creating holes when it comes to civil liberties. And I’m with much of the progressive blogosphere when we see that Barack Obama said he would filibuster this bill last year and he didn’t. I ain’t happy, campers. Obama simply blew it. Bonus: I Need To Start My Own Hippie Newspaper

• A Pesky Fly Must Read: The Top Five Reasons Why The Republican Party is Good for Democrats

• Progressive Nashville: Who's getting stimulated here?, Bonus: A Bill Gates memo to staff re. Windows usability

• Resonance: 2008 Cherohala Challenge Photo Ride Report, plus $7 gas and public transportation.

• RoaneViews: Handguns flying off the shelves, severe drought, working on exceptional, and off road vehicles v. the environment.

• Russ McBee: I suppose it's possible that the crippling of a census program which improves the accuracy of counting minorities is just a coincidence., plus: Feingold on FISA

• Sean Braisted: While everyone is focused on Heller, another important ruling was issued, this in regards to campaign finance reform.

• Sharon Cobb: Who's your daddy, Hillary?, and Cohen:Conscience of the Freshman Class, plus Why is Luke Russert on my TV?

• Silence Isn't Golden: In summation: Mike Stewart, good. David Sirota, wrong. Matt Pulle, full of shit. (Click the link and read why.) Also read this.

• Southern Beale: Hell Freezes, I Thank The NRA - Why? Because they just took away the trusty old standby argument they’ve used against every Democratic candidate since forever... Plus: Supreme Court hands ExxonMobil a Big Payday, and Bobby Jindal? Really?, bonus: Nashville welcomes Cher

• TennViews (Chris Lugo): Big brother is watching you and his name is AT&T. Sometimes he goes by the name of BellSouth and at other times he is known as AOL-Time-Warner. Big brother goes by a lot of names. He is listening to you while you talk and watching you while you type and everything you say could be recorded so he can look at it somewhere down the line.

• Vibinc: People seeking an office should be comfortable enough with themselves and their positions to take criticism of these topics constructively. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

• WhitesCreek Journal: Barack Obama is attempting to do something radical and dangerous for a Presidential candidate...Speak intelligently about religion...

• Women’s Health News: Seriously, what better way to proclaim that a lack of proper sex ed or lack of contraceptive availability has no bearing on these pregnancies than to suggest that the girls were sneakily and deliberately trying to become pregnant?

How To Royally Piss Me Off, Part 2

I'm watching some random stand-up show on Comedy Central right now, and the last comedian said that he's Jewish and his mother is always pressuring him to marry a Jewish girl. His response to that was "part of me wants to marry a Jewish woman, but part of me wants to marry someone attractive."

To that I say--I too would like to marry a Jewish man, but on the other hand I'd like to marry someone who's not a douchebag Mama's boy who's had everything in life handed to him on a silver platter.

Mom, Dad, if you're reading this, THIS is why I can't promise you that I won't intermarry. Why waste my time on asshole guys who would really rather have the skinny blonde shiksa? Besides, as a Jewish woman, I'll always have Bill Clinton...

Sometimes The Punchlines Write Themselves

Hehehehehe:

Athletes looking for a performance boost are increasingly turning to a little blue pill more usually taken for its off-the-field benefits: Viagra.

Some sports authorities say the drug is now finding a following among athletes.

The World Anti-Doping Agency is currently studying Viagra's effects in athletes, but hasn't yet banned it.

Supposedly, it's worked very well on cyclists.

So....is that your bike seat or are you just happy to see me? And don't forget, call your doctor (or ESPN) if that little "advantage" lasts longer than four hours.

Wrong And Wrong-er

Last night, I went to hear progressive author David Sirota speak at Davis-Kidd. I didn't buy his new book "The Uprising," because I've already read his schtick on Daily Kos. But it was interesting nonetheless.

Sirota raised some very good points, mainly over the fact that there is too much corporate influence in our government. He had gone down to the Mexican border to interview some of the Minutemen, and even though he disagreed completely with them, he could still understand how they felt that the government was unresponsive to them and that direct action was the only thing they could do. I also agree that the best chances to get progressive candidates in office is at the local level and that Democrats should not be afraid of wielding power.

However, it was around that point when he lost me. Someone asked him about the issue of the Justice Department passing over liberal-leaning law students for jobs in favor of less-qualified conservative students. Sirota said that they were simply doing what they needed to advance the conservative movement, and that a Democratic administration should do the same thing in order to advance a progressive movement. Sirota would not have a problem with them doing the same thing.

But I have a problem with it. I have an enormous problem with it.

There is a very thin line between wielding power for good (at least, your definition of "good") and outright corruption. Passing over qualified law students for jobs because of their political leanings crosses the line into corruption, and no amount of good intention changes that. I would have just as much of a problem with a Democratic president doing it as I do with Bush doing it.

Between that and a few other points, it almost sounded like Sirota was advocating a return to machine, Tammany Hall style politics. Now, Tammany Hall is certainly an example of Democrats wielding power for good. Many immigrants--Irish, Jews, Poles, and Italians to name a few--landed in New York in the 1800s with little more than the clothing on their backs, and might not have survived in America if not for the constant source of food, shelter, and jobs that came from Tammany Hall. It was an effective and powerful Democratic machine.

But it collapsed for a reason. Tammany Hall crossed the line between beneficence and corruption one too many times.

The Republicans of today mirror that as well. They used every power available to them (and some that weren't) to advance their brand of conservatism. But they too have crossed the line into corruption.

Democrats must be wary of that trap. The whole point of the progressive movement is that we're supposed to be better than them, not to sink to their level once we're in power. That will be the quickest way for the Democrats of today to go the way of Tammany Hall.

So that's where David Sirota is wrong. The "wrong-er" part came later on in the evening, when I met State House District 52 candidate Mike Stewart at Drinking Liberally. We had a great conversation, and I'm confident that no matter who wins that primary, District 52 is going to have a true progressive representing them.

In summation: Mike Stewart, good. David Sirota, wrong. Matt Pulle, full of shit.

Feel Good Friday--Extreme Edition

Pull your significant other close and get ready for one of the cheesiest (in a good way) love songs ever written:

Live From The Belle Meade Cocktail Party

There are few things in life that irritate me more than reading stuff like this.

At the risk of not getting any entries into this year's "You Are So Nashville If..." contest, I have to ask this question:

Is there ANYONE in this town who is a pure enough progressive for the Nashville Scene?

Before I go any further, I'd just like to emphasize that I'm not defending Mike Stewart or any of the other Waller attorneys. If I lived in that district, I would certainly vote for Eric Stansell over Mike Stewart. I'm not by any means condoning the groups they represent.

What I do have a problem with though is this notion that you can't be a "true" Democrat if you have interests that don't always mesh with Democratic ideals.

By Matt Pulle's standards, someone like me could never be a "true" Democrat, no matter how much I do for them. I'm a private school graduate from West Nashville (Bellevue, although my parents are moving to Green Hills), who left Nashville to go up North for college. And to be perfectly honest, I can't guarantee that I won't be representing the same kinds of clients when I get out of law school. St. Louis isn't a cheap city and my parents aren't going to be helping me out forever.

Speaking of which, let's take a look at my parents, both of whom are fiercely loyal Democrats. My mother is the volunteer coordinator for Reading is Fundamental in Nashville, and presides over a team of volunteers who go into the Title I elementary schools in Nashville to read and distribute books to the kids. My mother specifically took my brother and I along with her into the schools when we were younger as a practical way of applying her favorite motto, "To whom much is given, much is expected." She's done this now for over a decade, and at one point even expressed an interest in running for the school board, so badly did she want to do more for those children.

But she couldn't do that as a "good progressive", could she? Because she's just another elitist who sent her kids to a private school for middle and high school. And because of that fact, in spite of everything else she's done, she obviously doesn't know shit and doesn't care about public schools. Isn't that right Matt Pulle? Isn't that right Bruce Barry?

And my dad? Forget it. He's a doctor, which means that he has to deal with drug companies and insurance companies on a regular basis. And he would kind of like to not get sued unfairly. But no matter how many Democrats he supports, he'll still be just a rich guy with corporate interests in an office in Green Hills.

I don't mean to make this all about me and my personal problems with this argument. But there is certainly a part of me that is frustrated in knowing that just as someone like me can never truly fit into the Belle Meade cocktail party set (as a liberal Jew), I'll also never quite fit into the East Nashville Bongo Java set (as a West Nashvillian from a well-off family that I'm not about to disown anytime soon).

But to take a step back for a second, let's use an argument from the actual post:

Could you call yourself an active Republican and work as a paid consultant to the SEIU? A pro-life architect and design the national headquarters for Planned Parenthood?

Well, why not? The second hypothetical may be less likely (since I doubt Planned Parenthood would hire someone who loudly proclaimed an anti-choice stance), but at least with the first one, why not? For the consultant, the SEIU's money is as good as anyone else, right? The whole point of being a consultant, or a lawyer for that matter, is to best advise and represent your clients, regardless of their affiliation.

No Democrat is perfect or pure, towing the party line 100% of the time through their actions. We could throw people like the ones mentioned in the article out of the party if we wanted to make it more pure. The Democratic Party would then have about as much influence as the Green Party, but hey, we'd have our principles intact!

But what do I know? I'm just some vapid, spoiled West Nashville girl.

Finally, A New Tennessee Poll

Rasmussen:

John McCain leads Barack Obama 51% to 36% in Tennessee, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state. Though McCain has a strong advantage, his lead has been cut nearly in half since April.

Two months ago, while Obama was still struggling to wrap up the Democratic Presidential Nomination, McCain led 58% to 31% in the Volunteer State. The current poll is the first conducted in the state since Hillary Clinton’s exit from the race.

One other nugget of good news:

McCain leads 61% to 29% among men, but the candidates are essentially even among women. McCain draws support from 87% of Republicans and holds a two-to-one advantage among unaffiliated voters. Obama is supported by 74% of Democrats.

So despite what a few crazy bloggers would have you believe, the Hillary supporters are holding and coming over to the more pro-woman candidate.

I'm realistic--I know that the odds of Obama winning Tennessee are fairly slim, not because of anything he's said or done but because of the way the state is trending. I'd rather him spend his resources on states where he has a better chance of winning--Wisconsin, Missouri, Colorado, Iowa, Virginia, etc. This could change if someone like Phil Bredesen were on the ticket, but I just don't think Bredesen helps Obama all that much outside of Tennessee. By the way, those of you who DO want to see Bredesen on the ticket, just remember this sentence--"The 49th Governor of the State of Tennessee, Ronald Ramsey!" If Bredesen becomes Vice-President, then we're stuck with Governor Ramsey for the next two years.

But, the fact that McCain's numbers here are at least trending downward is a good sign. If Obama can at least force McCain to spend money here, that would be the best realistic scenario.

Baruch Hershel Obamawitz '08

My new bumper sticker:

Out Of Focus

NBC ran a focus group of likely voters in York, PA, to gauge their perceptions of the two Presidential candidates. The focus group was comprised of voters who had voted for neither Obama nor McCain.

The news was mostly positive for Obama:

Of the seven Clinton supporters, all of whom backed her strongly, five were solidly behind the Illinois senator, one was fiercely opposed (“I don’t trust Obama,” he said), and one was undecided (but noted that Clinton's support of Obama would influence her vote).

Given the results in the Pennsylvania primary, I think we can say that 6 of 7 for Obama is pretty damn good (and since Hillary and Bill have both committed to supporting Obama, I think we can effectively count that last voter as backing Obama now). The other two undecideds wanted to know more about Obama's health care plan, and that type of voter can certainly be swayed with more information.

But it's when you get into questions like this that make me question the validity of these focus groups in the first place:

On some questions of character, patriotism, and values (who would you rather carry the American flag at the Olympics, who would you rather carpool with), the focus group overwhelmingly picked McCain.

I have never, EVER, understood why who you'd want to carpool with or who you'd want to share a beer with matters. It would matter if you're deciding with whom you want to be friends, but why does it matter when you're picking a President?

I wouldn't use that as a basis to pick a President, because I know I won't be having a beer with either Obama or McCain anytime soon, and I certainly won't be carpooling with them. And odds are, random person who's reading this, neither will you.

(Although I will say that I would absolutely want Obama to carry the flag for the U.S. at the Olympics. In both the 2004 and 2006 Olympics, the American athletes were booed at the opening ceremonies. Given world opinion of Obama, I doubt that would happen if he were the one leading the delegation. But I digress.)

I don't want the President to be an average guy (or woman, someday). I want him to be smarter than me, I want him to have a better grasp on the issues than I do. We've tried having "the average guy" for President for the last seven years. Remind me how that turned out again?

And if this is an elitist position to hold, well then I guess I'm an elitist.

I'm Screwed

If McCain wins, then there goes that career plan:

Ivy Leaguers and other top law students were rejected for plum Justice Department jobs two years ago because of their liberal leanings or objections to Bush administration politics, a government report concluded Tuesday.

In one case, a Harvard Law student was passed over after criticizing the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. In another, a Georgetown University student who had previously worked for a Democratic senator and congressman didn't make the cut.

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

As early as 2002, career Justice employees complained to department officials that Bush administration political appointees had largely taken over the hiring process for summer interns and so-called Honors Program jobs for newly graduated law students. For years, job applicants had been judged on their grades, the quality of their law schools, their legal clerkships and other experiences.

But in 2002, many applicants who identified themselves as Democrats or were members of liberal-leaning organizations were rejected while GOP loyalists with fewer legal skills were hired, the report found. Of 911 students who applied for full-time Honors jobs that year, 100 were identified as liberal — and 80 were rejected. By comparison, 46 were identified as conservative, and only four didn't get a job offer.

Let's see...Ivy Leaguer? Check. Liberal leaning? Double check. Worked for Democrats? Jim Cooper, Harold Ford, Karl Dean (technically the race was nonpartisan but there's no way anyone could mistake him for a Republican), and I've volunteered for Obama. Needless to say, if God forbid John McCain is the President when I get out of law school, I'm probably not getting offered a job in the Justice Department.

If Obama wins, then surely as a former law professor, he'd know that you should hire people based on merit and not on their political leanings. But if it's McCain, then I'll just have to go work in the private sector, where I'll make more money anyway.

The Best Sign Of The Republican Meltdown

If this isn't a sign that Republicans have gone into full-on meltdown mode, then I don't know what is.

Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, facing a tough re-election campaign, has released an ad about Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. If a Republican released the ad, then it must be all about how Obama is a scary ultra-lib'rul Muslim, right?

Not exactly:



That's how bad it is for Republicans, that some of them have to go out of their way to link themselves TO Obama to look good!

Obama, to his credit, wants everyone to know that he supports the Democratic candidate in the race, Jeff Merkley.

UPDATE: Thinking about it further, Gordon Smith just handed Obama a talking point on a silver platter. The next time anyone goes "Oh, he's an ultra-lib'rul!", Obama can just point to this ad and say, "Look at how my Republican colleagues in the Senate are praising me for my bipartisanship!"

I talked a few days ago about how critical the Republicans' message discipline was to their success since 1994. What happened to it?

Oh, The Horror!

Who would have thought that Tennessee, a state that in all honesty isn't really going to be up for grabs this election cycle, would have been the state from whence so many gaffes and so much mud-slinging would originate?

First came Bill Hobbs and the Hobbsian Husseining. Then along came his long-lost Democratic cousin, Fred Hobbs, and his friend Beecher Frazier. Now Markos of DailyKos has obtained an email sent out by the Middle Tennessee chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, containing some pretty disturbing statements:

You also must talk to your employees about the Presidential election. You are not allowed to tell your employees who to vote for but you can express your thoughts on the best candidate for our industry and the protection of their jobs. ABC has resources to assist you in communicating with your employees regarding politics.

The Democratic candidate has indicated he will work closely with organized labor if elected. There is "A Clear Choice" for our industry in regard to the Presidential election.

We must elect John McCain!

Oh, how terrible. We may end up with a President who believes that construction workers are entitled to basic safety precautions!

Here's an idea--instead of telling your employees that John McCain is the best one for "the continuation of their jobs", why not just save yourself the time and effort and hire some goons to "persuade" them? That's the old-fashioned way, of which I'm sure John McCain would approve.

One more question--aren't builders and contractors here largely dependent upon immigrants, legal or otherwise, in their industry? John McCain has flip-flopped on the issue of immigration so many times I'm not sure what his position is today, but if he does end up "getting tough" on immigrants as a way to appeal to the GOP base, wouldn't that be an even bigger threat to the ABC?

In any case, if that were to happen it would serve them right.

A Proposal For Eric Crafton

In reading Eric Crafton's op-ed in today's paper, one paragraph stuck out at me:

Finally, you'll hear, "You're trampling on the right to free speech. Defending this measure will cost the city thousands of dollars." Actually, the proposed charter amendment simply says Metro Council meetings, boards, commissions and contracts binding Metro shall be in English. Surely, rational people would agree.

Aside from the point that his answer there does nothing to address the argument of how much it will cost the city to defend it, this does leave me with one question. If the amendment simply says that "Metro Council meetings, boards, commissions, and contracts binding Metro shall be in English", then can I see some sort of evidence of necessity?

Someone, point me to just one Council meeting, board, commission, or Metro contract that has been conducted in any language other than English. Just ONE. I'll give you a cookie if you do.

In the meantime, I have a proposal for Councilman Crafton. If we're going to put everything on the line to make English the official language of Metro, then I say we should take it one step further. Let us honor our forebears and our Founding Fathers by speaking the language they would have spoken--true, proper English.

Let's make REAL English (as in, the kind they speak in England) the official language of Metro.

Now, I realise that this might be a difficult transition for some of you. But you'll soon find that it's not too hard to replace your "zeds" with "s's", as I did with "realise" in that last sentence. Remember that French fries are now "chips", chips are "crisps," and cookies are "biscuits." My favourite kind of biscuits are Chocolate HobNobs. Oh, and you have to add on a "u" to some words, like "favourite" and "humour". British humour is far superior to American humour.

It only makes sense to do it this way. The very foundations of our American way of life, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, were directly based on the English Magna Carta of 1215. Our Founding Fathers were influenced by English philosophers such as John Locke and Thomas Hobbes (and also, to be fair, by those bloody Frogs Voltaire and Rousseau). What better way could we honour these forebears by speaking the language they obviously intended us to speak?

The Show Must Go On

Israeli LGBT community, 1. Religious whackos, 0.

The High Court of Justice on Monday rejected a petition submitted by right-wing activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir in efforts to prevent a Gay Pride parade from being held in Jerusalem this week.

The parade will take place as planned on Thursday.

You know, with all this talk over whether Jerusalem will be divided or undivided, I think they should hold gay pride parades there everyday. It seems to be one of the few issues that can bring the extremists on both sides, Jewish and Muslims, together. If those darn gays keep forcing their lifestyle upon everyone else, maybe the fringe elements will find other issues they can agree on as well!

Oh, Really?

Politico's Ben Smith on an Obama event with working women in New Mexico:

Interestingly, the talk -- to a "working women"-themed event in New Mexico, stays entirely on the economic issues, and doesn't touch abortion rights or other hot buttons.

Instead, he talks about fair pay, day care, and other workplace issues that were at the core of Clinton's campaign.

Wait, you mean the phrase "women's issues" doesn't just mean abortion? You mean the ladies also worry about the economy, about whether or not they'll still have their house tomorrow, whether or not they can afford their next tank of gas, whether or not they'll go into financial ruin the next time someone in their families gets sick? Color me SHOCKED!

Kenneth Eaton = Awesome

I don't know how my name gets on some of these e-mail lists, but I just got a message from long-shot Democratic Senate candidate Kenneth Eaton outlining his energy policy. Here it is:

Friends, if we're going to shake loose from depending upon antagonists like Iran and Venezuela for our energy, we're going to have to promote a whole lot of different energy solutions, not just oil. Those international oil companies who have assured us for years that they will supply all the oil we need have let us down again, like they've let us down before. Do they ever lobby for more efficient cars or other conservation measures? No. They like inefficient cars and bad conservation policies because next quarter's bottom line is what matters to them - even if their own country's economy is going right down the drain.

However, in our own country and elsewhere are plenty of growing young businesses that ARE coming up with new solutions: better solar panels, wind powered generators, hydrogen powered cars, electric plug-in vehicles, and yes, safe nuclear plants. Give us five or ten years of tax incentives for folks other than oil companies, and we'll have this energy thing licked! Then Ahmedinejad and Chavez can peddle their oil to the Martians!

Absolutely brilliant, and no holds barred. I love it! Someone hand this man a microphone!

As I recall, Kenneth Eaton could always be counted on to liven up the mayoral debates last year (which were never exactly the most interesting affairs). And in fairness to him, he WAS the only Senate candidate to put in an appearance this past weekend at the Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival, where Nashville Loves Barack Obama registered many new voters and signed up many more supporters to volunteer.

Quote Of The Week

Overheard yesterday at Fido:

"If Colonel Sanders were elected President, and seven years later the price of chicken had more than tripled, you would think something was up."

Because It Worked So Well In 2000

The Tennessean asks whether or not Al Gore ought to go to his hometown of Carthage, TN to drum up support for Barack Obama.

On the one hand, it certainly couldn't hurt. Smith County obviously went strongly for Gore in 2000, but it also went narrowly for Kerry in 2004. So obviously, there are plenty of Democrats there, and Al Gore would be the best possible surrogate for Obama in this area.

On the other hand, there's not really much Al Gore can do about it if people are saying, as that last person in the article did, that they won't vote for "this black guy". While I'm sure that the remark isn't entirely representative, it doesn't give me a whole lot of optimism.

And to be perfectly honest, if a small town in Tennessee has a problem voting for "this black guy" but several other small towns in Iowa and Missourah and Wisconsin don't have that problem, I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if the Obama campaign decided that their effort were better spent there.

So by all means, let's have another big Al Gore event on the Carthage courthouse steps. If he wants to go there and really hit the ground for Obama, I welcome it (and I would hope he can get Obama to come here sometime!). But to wring one's hands over the fact that Al Gore's hometown may not go for Obama is patently ridiculous.

The Difference Between The U.S. And The U.K.

In the U.S., politicians get lambasted for saying that actually, everything is NOT all happy and roses:

"You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton Administration, and the Bush Administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not."

"And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

In the U.K., if you claim that everything is just PEACHY....

In our own country today, despite the recent credit squeeze, our citizens have never been so wealthy. High-def TVs fly off the shelves at Tesco quicker than they can be imported. Whatever the latest technological innovation, most people can treat themselves to it. Eating out - a rare treat when I was a child in the ’70s - is as commonplace as going shopping. And when we do go shopping, whether for groceries or for clothes, we spend money in quantities that would have made our parents gasp.

We’re securer than ever, at least in international terms. There’s no equivalent of the Soviet Union threatening to bury is in a nuclear armageddon. The very real threat of terrorism hasn’t notably altered anyone’s patterns of behaviour or travel (which is as it should be). Job security is felt to be less than in the past, it’s true, but the corollary of that is the tremendous real-terms rises in incomes over the years and the consequent improvements in quality of life.

There are more two-car homes in Britain today than there are homes without a car at all. We live longer, eat healthier (if we choose), have better access to forms of entertainment never imagined a generation ago (satellite TV, DVD, computer games), the majority of us have fast access to the worldwide web, which we use to enable even more spending and for entertainment. Crime is down.

So why is everyone so bloody miserable?

...the press and the opposition go absolutely ballistic. Unfortunately for the Tories, "BloodyMiserableGate" doesn't quite have the same ring to it as "BitterGate" did for Hillary Clinton.

(By the way, read the rest of Tom Harris MP's blog and the comments on some of the posts. It's an absolute riot. He posted a picture of a cute puppy to try and defuse the controversy and the commenters started going mental about how much the price of dog food has gone up in the last few years. I realise it's a very heated debate but to the American observer this is British humour at its finest).

The Sunday Liberal Blog Round-Up, 06-22-08

The "Summer Solstice" (Copyright (C) Associated Press, All Rights Including Yours Reserved) edition of the weekly unpredictable Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: with Democrats like these, who needs Republicans?

• 55-40 Memphis: We could achieve more progress in the coming months than in all of the 40 years since Martin died.

• Tiny Cat Pants: I’m sure "We’re still pissed about things that happened before you were born" will make a stirring campaign slogan for the Republicans this fall.

• BlountViews: Swiftboating a local judge candidate

• Carole Borges: Prescription drugs are becoming a menace to society and patients don't know who to trust anymore.

• The Crone Speaks: We all know, that for years, Jeb is being "groomed" to follow in daddy’s footsteps. [..] Corporations, especially the oil companies, want a Bush in office.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: The first rule about Congressional Elections in the 1st District is - You don't talk about Congressional Elections in the 1st District. Plus: Rep. Davis Dodges Debate

• Don Williams: ...this is about electric moon spiders and giant rainbows that wade ocean waters in order to show you the whole round realness of wonder that only a vacation can provide by reminding you of who you were before you became what you do...

• TNDP: Tennessee Young Dems look to capture 5,000, plus TNDP Chairman Gray Sasser: Lamar Alexander is wrong on energy

• Enclave: It would be a shame if the next President was more of an advocate for programs that support Metro Nashville than our own elected representative.

• Fletch: Realization

• KnoxViews (Rocketsquirrel): Currently, oil and gas companies hold leases on nearly 68 million acres of federal land (both onshore and under OCS waters) that they are not developing.

• Lean Left: If the President tells a company it’s legal, it’s legal.

• Left of the Dial: "Staycation" is the new buzzword for the summer of 2008.

• LeftWingCracker: I can see THAT now: LOOK HOW SAFE I'VE MADE SHELBY COUNTY! That's a winner, bubba, I'd take that and really run with it if I were you. Oy. Next, other than the Baker-Alexander-Thompson tribe, who knows Gibbons outside of Big Shelby? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I digress.

• Liberadio(!): ...tonight’s 500 foot swim, which is scheduled for 5:00pm at Riverfront Park, has already served its purpose - prompting Nashvillians to start chattering about the state of the river and its environs.

• Newscoma: wish just once that Tanner voted the way I wanted him to vote. Cohen just may be the only lifeline that Tennessee has for calling foul on this sort of stuff. This isn’t about warrantless wiretapping. It’s about saving corporations money.

• The Pesky Fly: The real traitor here is Steny Hoyer. And Nancy Pelosi.

• Progressive Nashville: ...a brief overview of some of McCain's 2007 votes on children's issues..., plus: What does it take to get fired in Memphis?

• Resonance: I was not at all surprised to see Senator McCain flip-flop with yesterday's announcement that he now opposes the federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling. I expect more politicians to follow this path as public pressure to do something about the energy crisis builds.

• RoaneViews: Here's a "Predict the Race" spreadsheet for the Ruppe-Yager Senate race.

• Russ McBee: Just like their recent obstruction of the carbon reduction bill, today's actions show that the GOP have no intention of doing anything meaningful about our most pressing environmental and energy issues.

• Sean Braisted: ...I still don't get the argument by some against immunity. There seem to be two thoughts.

• Sharon Cobb: I can tell you I know first hand Obama has been in and out of Nashville visiting Al Gore during the past year, and Gore advised him, as he did other candidates.

• Silence Isn't Golden: Everyone's buzzing about the new Quinnipiac poll numbers that show Obama not only handily winning in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also have him up in Florida.

• Southern Beale: Isn’t that special! The four largest Western oil companies are preparing to sign no-bid contracts in Iraq, bringing them back to a position they had 36 years ago. Is that some long-range planning or what!

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: What with Michelle's dangerously feminist habit of speaking her mind, or sounding altogether too much like First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, extreme stepford, um, I mean steps are being taken.

• TennViews (Chris Lugo): Abstinence only until marriage curricula is censorship, pure and simple. Any school program that withholds scientifically valid information does not present young people with the full range of options they will actually face in life.

• Vibinc: Ahh, but constituents aren’t good at Change™ either. They want to balance their household budgets while owning the biggest big screen HDTV with 4 picture in pictures and total immersion surround sound. They want rock solid abs after a mere 20 minute workout and to eat that carton of Twinkies in one sitting. It’s a startling contradiction.

• WhitesCreek Journal: A message to Tennessee Democrats, "Get on the Love Train now, cause the good seats are going fast."

• Women’s Health News: Thoughts on the AMA Homebirth "Ban," Ricki Lake, and Midwifery

BONUS ROUND: The AP v. blogger dustup - a sampling...

• Enclave: At the Risk of Violating Rexblog's Fair Use Policy

• The Crone Speaks: Ass.Press’s Desire to Re-write Fair Use

• Newscoma: Connecting The Dots

• Newscoma: The AP vs. Bloggers

• KnoxViews: AP, bloggers, and the fair use controversy

• Russ McBee : AP follows RIAA and MPAA into the gutter

• The Crone Speaks: Heavy Hand of the AP

DOUBLE BONUS ROUND: The Hobbs (no not that one, the other one) controversy...

• TennViews (WhitesCreek): Fred Hobbs Seems intent on destroying Lincoln Davis Gubernatorial chances

• KnoxViews: Obama connected

• The Pesky Fly: Just Speechless

• Silence Isn't Golden: What The Hell Is Going On Here?

• LeftWingCracker: Feel Good Friday this is NOT, not today

• Sean Braisted: Benefit of the Doubt

• Sean Braisted: The Wheels On The Bus Go Round and Round

• Silence Isn't Golden: Here's How It's Done

• Sean Braisted: Fred Hobbs Apologizes

• Sean Braisted: Glass Houses

• Sean Braisted: More on the Hobbs/Terrorist-Gate

• Sean Braisted: The Commish Says Fire Hobbs

Feel Good Friday--The Bad Touch Edition

I just got back from St. Louis and there are still 35 minutes in Feel Good Friday, so why not?

I heard this infamous 90's song on the radio yesterday. I must say that I never knew that the real title of this song was "The Bad Touch". I always assumed it was something else:

How To Royally Piss Me Off

I'm up in St. Louis right now. Wash U had a Housing Day for law students, and even though I already know where I'm living, I came up to get a better feel for the area and to buy furniture (I got a pretty sea-green and brown sofa and a nifty coffee table where the top lifts up in case you want to eat off of it or put your computer on it). But while we were exploring the neighborhood around my apartment building, we came into a local St. Louis grocery store called Straub's. We walked in, and guess what was on the first aisle?

An entire aisle of nothing but wine and hard liquor. It was mostly wine though, any kind of varietal you could possibly want.

While it's good to know that I'll be able to buy wine with my groceries in my new neighborhood in the fall, seeing it here and not in Tennessee still angers me. Allowing wine in the grocery stores doesn't seem to have put the "mom and pop" liquor stores out of business; on the contrary, St. Louis does not lack for independent liquor stores. Why do we think it would be completely the opposite in Tennessee, especially if we're just pushing for wine (not hard liquor) in grocery stores?

Damn.

Numbers I Like To See

Everyone's buzzing about the new Quinnipiac poll numbers that show Obama not only handily winning in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also have him up in Florida.

But there is one set of numbers out of Florida that I particularly like, via FiveThirtyEight:

If Florida is in play, then John McCain's defense is completely broken; it was the one traditional swing state that always had looked off-limits to Obama. More frustratingly for McCain, he had spent the better part of three days in Florida earlier this month, hoping to raise doubts about Obama among Jewish voters. Although Quinnipiac does not break out the Jewish vote, Obama holds a 61-31 lead in Southeast Florida, where most of the state's Jewish population is concentrated.

Well, the bounce is either off the Jews or off the Cubans. I'm guessing it's probably not the Cubans just yet.

If we're up to 61% among old people in Boca Raton and West Palm Beach (the most skeptical of the Jewish voters), then Obama must actually be pulling in at least 70% of the Jewish vote elsewhere. Just like Obama's "Latino Problem", the "Jewish Problem" was just the result of a lack of information combined with bad stereotypes.

Wherein I Take The Unpopular Position

A kid I know who just graduated from UCLA has a post up right now on Daily Kos, discussing how, due to a labor dispute between the university and the AFSCME, both Bill Clinton and Arianna Huffington had to pull out as commencement speakers. The AFSCME further pressed their case by picketing the graduation ceremony. The diarist wrote about how although he and his friends have long supported the union in their dispute, and put the blame on the university for causing them to lose their commencement speakers, the protest outside caused the mood at graduation to turn definitively against the union.

Naturally, he's getting flamed right now as a spoiled elitist college student who's "spitting" on workers and their families. Although all he's saying is that the union unnecessarily squandered goodwill towards them, he's taking some serious heat for even daring to criticize organized labor.

Now, when I saw the title, "How to get college students pissed off at unions in one easy step," I thought of another way they could have done it. If you really want to piss off college students and other young Democrats, you could try telling them they should DEFINITELY run to be a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, because they've worked so hard for their candidate and everyone SO wants to see more youth participation. Then, screw them over after they've spent hundreds of dollars going back and forth between Nashville and Ithaca on two different weekends by allowing the state employees' union to completely hijack the meeting where the delegates were elected, guaranteeing that no one outside of the union had a fair shot. Now, this may have been more the TNDP's fault for allowing it, but you're damn right I was pissed the TSEA too!

But I digress.

When I read my friend's story, I thought that it was great that the union was publicizing their fight, and I was glad to hear that Democrats like Clinton and Huffington were standing with them, even if there was no official "picket line" to cross. But at the same time, it is unfortunate that students who studied hard to earn their degrees had their day of celebration thrown into turmoil. To suggest things like, "If you really cared about the workers, you would have left your graduation and picked up a placard!" is absolutely ridiculous. This whole situation could have been handled differently. It's not anti-labor to suggest so.

Feelings Of Inadequacy

Read this and feel stupid.

Oh and by the way NBC, he was not admitted to the "entire" Ivy League if he was admitted to seven Ivies. There's eight of them. But I'm sure this guy probably thought of Brown University as a safety school.

An Open Letter To The City Of Boston

Dear Bahhhhhhston,

First of all, a big congratulations on winning the NBA Championship. The Celtics were indisputably the best team in the league throughout the season. This last game, you dominated in a way that we don't expect to see in a game so critical against a team like the Lakers (granted, the Lakers barely showed up for this game, but the Celtics were still spectacular). You won because this was a team effort, not based solely around one player. And I am very happy that KG finally got a title.

However...

You now hold the NBA Championship. You didn't win the Super Bowl this year, but you'll win a few more before Tom Brady is finished. The Red Sox have fully broken their "curse." Who's to say the Bruins won't win the Stanley Cup next year?

All I'm saying is, can the rest of us who don't live in Boston win a championship at some point? How long will y'all insist on being the dominant sports city in the U.S.?

(Actually, as far as I'm concerned, the Red Sox and the Celtics can win all they want. So can the Bruins as long as it doesn't affect the Predators. Really, I just like it when the Patriots lose).

Kthanx,

GoldnI

P.S. By the way, what was up with booing David Stern when they were presenting the trophies? Yeah, I understand the sentiment, it just seemed kind of gratuitous.

P.P.S. The Cornell Lynah Faithful would like to express its sentiments about another Boston team:

Give me an A! A!
Give me another A! A!
Give me another A! A!
Welcome to Harvard!

Pro-Peace Pro-Israel Group Endorses Steve Cohen

I'll see your EMILY's List and raise you a JStreet. The new pro-peace pro-Israel organization (which, unlike AIPAC, has a political action committee that can endorse and raise money for candidates) has endorsed seven candidates for Congress, including our very own Steve Cohen:

Elected in 2006, Cohen has already distinguished himself as a fresh new voice on Capitol Hill and the type of pro-Israel voice JStreetPAC is proud to support. A staunch opponent of the war in Iraq, he has championed other JStreetPAC priorities including increased US assistance to the Palestinian authority to help create conditions for a lasting two-state solution.

He did a video message for them as well:



In addition to Steve Cohen, JStreetPAC endorsed six other candidates who support aggressive Middle East diplomacy and a commitment to the two-state solution, five other Democrats and one Republican, Charles Boustany of LA-07. The most notable of the other Democrats is Dennis Shulman, a blind Rabbi who is running for the NJ-05 seat against a Bush loyalist.

Give and give generously, people!

Oh, and in other Israel news, the Israelis are obviously a bunch of Neville Chamberlain-esque appeasers. How can they even consider sitting down with their enemies and negotiating a cease-fire? Don't they understand the situation they're in?

Here's How It's Done

****Important update at the bottom****

The Tennessee Democratic Party could learn a thing or two from their counterparts in Wisconsin:

The Wisconsin Democratic Party moved Friday to strip a woman of her position as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention after she told a newspaper she would vote for Republican Sen. John McCain for president in November.

State party members voted at their convention Friday night to challenge Debra Bartoshevich's status as a delegate to the Denver convention in late August, when Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is expected to get the party's presidential nomination.

When I ran to be a delegate to the convention, I had to sign a pledge stating that no matter what, I would support the Democratic nominee for President. I'm guessing that's pretty much standard operating procedure for the other state parties.

The Wisconsin Democratic Party chairman did not mince words over this:

"It's extremely important that we send a message that Democrats in the state of Wisconsin will never support somebody who supports John McCain for president," state party chairman Joe Wineke said to cheers among the hundreds of party activists.

He said he was furious that Bartoshevich had given Republicans an opening to embarrass the Democrats.

Now, before anyone jumps up and claims that they're just ganging up on Hillary supporters, it's important to remember that it was in fact another Clinton delegate who proposed this in the first place, and Ms. Bartoshevich will be replaced with a Clinton alternate delegate.

I know that Fred Hobbs and Angela Danovi are not delegates to the convention, super or otherwise. But this idea should apply to ALL Democrats who are in leadership positions, not just to the delegates. If you're in a position where it is your responsibility to promote Democratic candidates and encourage others to get involved, then you should not go around saying that you don't support the most important candidate of all, and that you won't vote for him. That's your business to do so if you're a private citizen, but not if you're supposed to be a party leader. Saying you'll vote for McCain or that you think Obama is a terrorist is the mark of a party leader who cannot effectively do his or her job.

This is the message that the TNDP needs to send, loud and clear. Now is not the time for statements trying to blame the Republicans. They may be responsible for some of the smears being spread about Obama, but this case is a completely different situation. People like Hobbs and Danovi are not acting out of ignorance, they're spitefully attempting to sabotage the Democratic nominee for President.

Look at the Republicans for a moment. Why were they so successful as a party in the 1990s? There are probably several reasons, but one big reason was that they were disciplined. If there were disagreements, they dealt with them in private but never let on about it in public. They never sent conflicting messages; you knew what they stood for. In contrast to their discipline, the Democrats looked indecisive and weak.

This is what we need now, more than ever. Conservative, moderate, and liberal Democrats are all still Democrats in the end. We don't need Joe Lieberman-esque saboteurs in the party, like Danovi and Bartoshevich and Paula Abeles.

See also: Commissioner Jackson's statement

UPDATE: As I was writing this, Sean Braisted and the rest of the TNDP Executive Committee got an apology letter from Fred Hobbs:

I was not as well prepared as I should have been when speaking with reporters, and I should have taken more time to research Senator Obama's positions. My comments did reflect questions I had after what I had seen reported on Fox News, but I should have taken some time to check the accuracy of what I saw on television before speaking publicly. My statement that Senator Obama "may be terrorist-connected" was incorrect, and I apologize for making it.

It seems heartfelt enough. However, I disagree with Sean that Gray Sasser nipped this in the bud. For one thing, it's WAY too late for that. Either Sasser or Hobbs could have "nipped it in the bud" three days ago, and neither of them did. As far as I'm concerned, Hobbs had all day Friday and all weekend to correct the record, and he waited until now.

Besides, what kind of Democrat takes Fox News at face value?

I'm not convinced. This is not enough.

Some MLB With Your Howard Stern?

Well damn, that was good timing--FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has recommended that the merger of Sirius and XM go through, with conditions:

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin made his recommendation Sunday in exchange for a number of concessions, including turning 24 channels over to noncommercial and minority programming. That sets the stage for a final vote that could occur any time after Martin’s recommendation is circulated among his fellow commissioners.

The provision on noncommercial and minority programming along with several others — including a three-year price freeze for customers — persuaded Martin to support Sirius Satellite Radio Inc.’s buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. The deal would affect millions of subscribers who pay to hear music, news, sports and talk programming, largely free from advertising, in homes and vehicles.

The price-freeze is important--although I think that the realities of the market would have prevented them from raising their subscription prices anyway (since they still have to convince a lot more people to make the switch before satellite radio becomes a profitable enterprise), the price-freeze will make a good check against monopolistic practices.

Obama The Marxist?

You may have heard the talking point "OMG Obama is a Marxist!!!1!" flung all over the Internets over the past few weeks. I've been wondering just how accurate that claim really is. Can Obama really be considered a Marxist, or is this the same paradox as the "Adam Smith capitalists", where people are citing a philosopher about whom they know nothing?

First, let's define what a "Marxist believes. Now, this is somewhat of a difficult task--there are multiple schools of Marxist thought. But for the best definition, let's go with what Marx himself had to say. In his work "The Communist Manifesto," he and Engels listed 10 "planks" upon which the Communist society would rest. Presumably, if Obama were truly a Marxist committed to spreading Communism, he'd be calling for at least a few of these:

1. Abolition of private property in land
2. Heavy taxation
3. Abolition of the right of inheritance
4. Confiscation of the property of emigrants and rebels
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state through a national bank
6. Centralization of the means of transport and communication in the state
7. Nationalization of industry
8. Establishment of industrial "armies"
9. Forced population redistribution to blur the distinction between town and country
10. Abolition of private education

Although it's not listed as part of the 10 Planks, it's important to remember that Marx also believed that the abolition of religion would be necessary in a Communist society.

Now, I'm trying to figure out where Obama has called for anything similar to what Marx proposed. I know someone is probably making their way down to the "post a comment" button to say that Obama is calling for higher taxation, but even that connection doesn't work. When Marx and Engels called for "heavy taxation", they mean nearly one's entire income. What do you need extra money for, if everything you need comes from the state? And when 85% of Americans will pay lower taxes in an Obama Administration, then the connection truly falls apart.

So, where has Obama called for anything like what Marx called for? I'm not trying to be confrontational here, I'm interested in this as an academic question (you know, the kind of questions that we eggheaded overedjumacated elitists ask).

Merge For Music And Money

Here's an excellent op-ed from today's Tennessean highlighting how the merger of XM and Sirius Satellite Radio companies will benefit the city of Nashville and country artists everywhere.

Two points to consider:

• Regular country radio stations can only play from limited playlists, meaning that they're generally limited to current artists from the big labels that can promote them. Artists from smaller or independent labels, or ones who play different forms of country music (traditional, bluegrass, "outlaw"), are generally shut out. On satellite radio, all of these different genres have their own stations, giving them a bigger platform and a better chance of exposure than they would have on traditional radio.

• FM/AM radio stations don't pay royalties to the artists, XM and Sirius do. As CD sales continue to decline (and sorry Music Row, but that trend is pretty much irreversible), the royalties constitute a steady source of income for country artists.

Also, I didn't realize this because I'm a Sirius subscriber, but XM apparently has quite a presence in Nashville. They broadcast out of the Sommet Center tower and they have a live studio inside the Country Music Hall of Fame. They had live coverage of Fan Fair all last weekend.

With only a 4% combined market share in the radio industry, the merger of XM and Sirius would in no way constitute a monopoly. The government needs to approve the merger so that artists will not be denied this excellent platform.

Speak English, Morans!

While Mike Byrd and the City Paper duke it out over who is and who isn't properly covering Councilman Eric Crafton's efforts to make English the official language of Metro, the Nashville Post has done something far more constructive. They analyzed Crafton's mailer to 30,000 Metro residents for grammar and spelling mistakes, and you won't believe how many they found.

You know, if you're so concerned about the decline of the English language, then perhaps the effort and money that is being spent on this issue would be better spent on hiring better English teachers for our schools. Using poor grammar in a situation like this just makes you look like a backwards illiterate hick. And we wouldn't want anyone thinking that about Tennesseans, would we?

What The Hell Is Going On Here?

Lincoln Davis' Chief of Staff Beecher Frasier to Adam Kleinheider:

"No one in their right mind, including me, believes Senator Obama has ties to terrorism. It is truly ridiculous for anyone to try to make hay out of these comments.”

Here's what the original City Paper article says that Frasier said in response to TNDP Executive Committee member Fred Hobbs' asinine comments on Obama:

His chief of staff, Beecher Frasier, said he doesn’t know for sure if Obama is “terrorist connected” but he assumes he’s not.

So what's going on here? Did he or did he not express uncertainty to the City Paper? It seems like he either said something really dumb not thinking he'd get called out on it and is now backtracking, or the City Paper needs to issue one hell of a clarification.

And honestly, it's hard to tell who's telling the truth here. TNDP spokesman Wade Munday seems to believe that Frasier WAS simply misquoted by the City Paper, but if that's the case, then you'd think Frasier's clarification would make that point. That is the heart of the matter, after all. It sounds more like he's upset that people are making a big deal over it.

But then what's Fred Hobbs' excuse?

“I don’t exactly approve of a lot of the things he stands for and I’m not sure we know enough about him,” Hobbs said when asked why he thought Davis wasn’t endorsing Obama. “He’s got some bad connections, and he may be terrorist connected for all I can tell. It sounds kind of like he may be.”

This is exactly the same thing as with the president of the Knox County Young Democrats. You're more than welcome to be as conservative of a Democrat as you want to be. But if you're in a position of leadership within the Democratic Party, then you sure as hell better show a little discipline and support the nominee. Senators Jim Webb and Jon Tester are conservative Democrats from very red areas--they don't agree with the rest of the party all of the time, but they certainly know that if you're a party leader, you have to act as a force for unity and not for division. If you're incapable of doing anything other than handing the Republicans talking points on silver platters, then you'd probably be better off in another type of job.

One thing I'm looking forward to next year, when President Obama takes the oath of office and we have a larger majority in Congress, will be that all of these little Joe Liebermans will be on the outside looking in.

By the way, Lincoln Davis...you could end all of this right now and say that you will support the Democratic nominee. Just sayin'.

Enormous Shoes To Fill

Tim Russert, 1950-2008.

Honestly, I don't know who could fill his shoes on "Meet the Press"


RIP.

Doin' A Heckuva Job Popey, Part 2

Go to this link for the New York Times blog The Lede. Scroll down until you get to this sentence:

We’re not talking about the Fernando-esque second clause, which was unobjectionably friendly if perhaps a tad over-familiar in tone.

Look at what the phrase "over-familiar" links to.

That's right--in a very indirect way, I'm in the New York Times (or at least their blog) right now! In the end, that is a far more important development than anything coming out of Lincoln Davis' or any of his schmuck aides' mouths (more on that later).

I love you New York!

Feel Good Friday--Champagne Edition

On my way to work this morning, I was listening to Radio 1 on Sirius, and it got me thinking--Oasis was awesome and it's really too bad they can't get their shit back together:

You're Doin' A Heckuva Job, Popey

The Preznit to Pope Benedict:

"Your eminence, you're looking good," Bush told the pope shortly after arriving at the Vatican, launching the leaders' third visit together.

"You're looking good"? Seriously? This isn't just some random friend, it's the Pope!

Is it January yet?

Great! Now Can We Get It In Nashville?

This evening the House of Representatives passed, by a veto-proof margin of 311-104, a bill authorizing $15 billion in funding for Amtrak. The bill also sets up a program of federal matching grants to help states build up their own passenger rail networks.

This legislation comes on the heels of news that Amtrak is reporting record numbers of riders as the price of gas continues to rise. Since it does not look like the price of gas is going to go down anytime soon, the new funding for Amtrak comes at a crucial time.

There's so much to be said for rail travel. It's infinitely less stressful than flying, and it's getting to be cheaper than driving. In Europe, you can buy one rail pass very cheaply and ride anywhere you want to go. There's a huge train station in St. Louis, and I'll definitely use it to go visit my friends in Chicago. I'm hopeful that now that we need Amtrak more than ever, they'll make the necessary reforms and get it running smoothly again.

Interestingly, to get some Republicans on board, the bill included a provision for creating a privately-held high-speed rail connection between Washington D.C. and New York City. There's some concern that this would undermine Amtrak by peeling off a valuable asset. However, I actually think it's a good idea. A high-speed connection on the Northeast corridor is sorely needed, so allowing a private company to handle the amount of infrastructure necessary to construct one would allow Amtrak to pick up the slack elsewhere in the country.

Now what I want to know is, when can we get rail service in Nashville? Even if it were just a Nashville-Atlanta or a Nashville-Chicago route, it would help so much.

Scientific Proof of Evolution

(H/t ShawnGBR on DailyKos)

A very exciting development has occurred in the field of evolutionary biology. A study of 12 populations of E.coli bacteria that has gone on for 20 years and produced 44,000 new generations of new bacterial cells has provided a scientific proof of evolution and natural selection.

Read the entire article here (it's fascinating and easy to understand), but to summarize--about 31,500 generations in, the cells in one population suddenly gained the ability to metabolize citrate. This was a huge development as the inability to digest citrate is usually how scientists differentiate E.coli from other forms of bacteria. With the new nutrient, that population grew significantly in size and diversity.

There are two huge implications here. First, the fact that the "citrate-plus" population grew so much larger indicates a solid proof of natural selection. Second, because the scientists in this study saved samples of previous generations of the bacteria, they can now go back and determine exactly what mutation(s) occurred to gain that ability. Regardless of whether it was one large mutation or a sequence of smaller ones, it pokes a hole in the creationist/intelligent designer argument that evolution cannot occur through a random process. The randomness, of course, is just a part of the puzzle, the other part being natural selection.

Now, this of course will not stop the creationist/ID'ers from trying to replace science with religion in the classroom. But this is further evidence (as if any should be needed) that evolution fits the definition of a scientific theory as something that is proveable and observable, while creationism/ID is neither.

Women Will Support The Pro-Woman Candidate

This morning we got some very good numbers for Obama among women voters:


It's not just that Obama is winning by 13 points among all women. He is also beating McCain 47-41 among women 50 and older, one of Hillary Clinton's core constituencies. Furthermore, he is tied with McCain among married women, a group which John Kerry lost by 11 points. It's quickly becoming clear that for all of the heated rhetoric of the last few weeks, Democratic women who supported Hillary Clinton are not going to vote for an anti-woman candidate just to "make a point."

And then there's this:

As the poll came out, a group of women who supported Mrs. Clinton held a conference call to begin a campaign to “sound the alarm” about Mr. McCain’s record on women’s issues as he tries to woo women voters himself.

The women –including Ellen Malcolm, the president of Emily’s List, and Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Democrat of Florida — said some people think Mr. McCain is moderate on women’s issues because he has occasionally been a maverick in the past but he is in fact quite conservative, especially on abortion rights. Mr. McCain favors overturning Roe v. Wade and voted against a bill to make it easier for women to file lawsuits seeking equal pay for equal work.

Now, I'm still quite angry at EMILY's List, but I'm glad to see that they realize, in this race at least, which candidate would be better for women.

All be told, the members of a certain Tennessee "feminist" blog do not speak for all, or even most, Hillary supporters. Most of them, while understandably still upset over their candidate losing, understand who the better candidate is among the remaining two.

They'll Also Steal Your Precious Bodily Fluids

Some random idiot conservative columnist on Obama's popularity on college campuses:

An Obama presidency would signal the final salvo by the Left in the culture wars. Obama’s advance troops have already taken over our college campuses, have bound and gagged our conservative professors, have ravished our virgins, have pillaged our stores of wisdom, and have ensconced themselves in the thrones of power in deans’, presidents’ and department heads’ offices.

There may be a valid point of discussion in all of this (whether conservatives really want true academic freedom or just to control the debate, etc). But somehow, I don't think that framing your argument as if it were a line from "Dr. Strangelove" is going to work all that well.

Becoming What We Profess To Hate

I heard about this story a few weeks ago, but it's only now making the news because it fits into the higher food prices narrative.

The largest kosher meat processor in the country (located in Iowa, of all places) was raided by federal authorities a few weeks ago:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on May 12 raided Agriprocessors Inc.'s Postville, Iowa plant, arresting nearly 400 workers on immigration, identity theft and other charges. The company produces about half the country's kosher beef and roughly 40 percent of its kosher chicken; the plant was temporarily shut by the raid, but has since reopened. The arrests were quickly followed by almost 300 plea deals by workers, most of whom were charged with using false identification.

The problem wasn't just that they were using undocumented labor:

A search warrant for the raid stated that a former Agriprocessors supervisor said weapons were carried at the plant and the supervisor had discovered a methamphetamine lab there. The warrant also said a rabbi at the plant berated workers and threw meat at them, and a supervisor had taped a Guatemalan man's eyes shut with duct tape, then struck him with a meat hook.

The Orthodox Rabbinical Council called for "incorporating ethics" into kosher supervisory agencies, and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

said that as kosher laws seek "to diminish animal suffering and offer a humane method of slaughter, it is bitterly ironic that a plant producing kosher meat be guilty of inflicting any kind of human suffering."

I would posit that there is in fact another kind of bitter irony in play here.

How did the majority of Jews come to this country? As immigrants from Eastern Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When they came to this country, they were more often than not poor and illiterate, so the only form of work they could find was in the factories and sweatshops of the big cities. They slaved for long hours in terrible conditions for low wages, hoping to earn enough to forge a better life for their families. They knew that no matter how bad their circumstances were, they were still better off than they had been in the countries from which they came.

Sound familiar?

Are we not doing to Hispanic immigrants exactly what was done to us?

On what planet is this acceptable? Does the Torah condone this?

Exodus 23:9--"You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt."

Deuteronomy 10:19--"So show your love for the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."

No, schmucks. The Bible may contradict itself on a host of other issues, but there is no mistaking what those two passages mean.

The Jewish Daily Forward mentions that the reason why there hasn't been as much of an outcry over this is that many people don't know about it yet. But there are plenty of others who do know, and are more concerned with what it means for the cost of food.

This does not anger me so much as it profoundly saddens me. If we as a community see this and stay silent, then I will mourn for what we have become.

The Veepstakes

First Read has some "leaked" names that are being considered by Barack Obama's vetting team to be on the ticket as Vice President (I put "leaked" in quotes because nothing this high up would be accidentally leaked in a campaign like this). Here they are, and whether I think they should be on the ticket or not (note: a vote of "Eh" does not mean I don't want them on the ticket, just that I'm not sure how much they bring to the table):

Hillary Clinton: No
John Kerry: HELL No
John Edwards: Eh
Evan Bayh: No
Kathleen Sebelius: Yes
Ted Strickland: Eh
Mark Warner: HELL Yes
Tim Kaine: Yes
Jim Webb: Yes
Bill Nelson: No
Jack Reed: Eh
Joe Biden: Yes
Chris Dodd: Eh
Tom Daschle: No
Sam Nunn: Eh

I would say that the only glaring omission from this list is Bill Richardson, who could possibly put Obama over the top in several Western states. There was a question over Ed Rendell as well, but I don't think Pennsylvania is as much of a swing state as everyone says. Other than that, no surprises. Of course, the whole thing could very well be a red herring designed to distract the "Oooh, shiny object!" media.

As you can see, I'm fairly partial to the Virginia delegation. I think an Obama/Warner ticket would be unstoppable. But Mark Warner seems pretty committed to running for the Senate. Barring that, Obama/Sebelius or Obama/Webb would be great. Maybe they could make Edwards Attorney General and Richardson Secretary of State.

Now, my Hillary-supporting (now Obama-supporting) mother has a very interesting take on this. She actually doesn't like the idea of an Obama/Clinton ticket, since Hillary doesn't help Obama that much in the states where he needs it. However, even though she likes Sebelius a lot, she says that putting another woman on the ticket would be a slap in the face to other Hillary supporters. I suggested that maybe they could put Hillary in charge of carrying out Obama's health care plan, since that would be some form of vindication. She liked that idea, but I still can't discern who she wants for VP.

Pass The Popcorn And Hold On To Your Hats

AP via Talking Points Memo:

President Bush's former spokesman, Scott McClellan, will testify before a House committee next week about whether Vice President Dick Cheney ordered him to make misleading public statements about the leaking of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

McClellan will testify publicly and under oath before the House Judiciary Committee on June 20 about the White House's role in the leak and its response, his attorneys, Michael and Jane Tigar, said on Monday.

In other news, someone in the White House just pissed themselves.

If the day that Patrick Fitzgerald brought charges against Scooter Libby was known as "Fitzmas", then what will we call June 20?

Happy McClellukkah Y'all!

Why Do I Want A MacBook Again?

Apple just came out with a bunch of shiny new upgrades for their resoundingly successful iPhone, the gadget which has controlled my life for the last year. As expected, Steve Jobs introduced a new version of the iPhone that can run on 3G, a much faster Internet connection than the current 2G/EDGE network. In addition, they've introduced a bundle of new programs called Firmware 2.0, which will include new capabilities such as GPS and Microsoft Exchange compatibility.

If you're a current iPhone owner, you'll be able to get the firmware update for free next month. But as far as the 3G is concerned, you're out of luck and you'll have to buy a whole new phone.

I KNEW this was going to happen. I knew when I bought the iPhone that it would eventually be a lot cheaper and have better functionality, and that I would come to regret not holding out. But I still bought it last summer.

And here's the crazy part...I know that I will, at some point and in spite of myself, get the new version. As much as I use the Safari and Map functions on my phone, it almost wouldn't make sense if I DIDN'T get the iPhone 3G.

Those of you out there who are hardcore Apple users, let me ask you something as a relative newbie (or n00b if you prefer). Is it always like this? Does Apple always pull stuff like this and yet you keep coming back to it, like an abusive relationship?

And if I buy a MacBook before I leave for law school, as I was planning, will they immediately come out with a new version of it the next day?

Unacceptable

I'm doing my best to have patience with Hillary Clinton supporters. I hear the people who tell me that the cries of "McCain before Obama!" are just part of the grieving process and that they'll come around eventually, and that we just need to give them time.

However, this I cannot accept:

"I am offended by Bredesen. Obama is from the far extreme," Angela Danovi, president of the Knox County Young Democrats, said angrily. "How does our state party chairman not stand with Democrats of Tennessee? I have no idea how they do that."

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

Danovi said she will not vote for Obama, but she's not going to vote for John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, either.

"I'm going to be voting present. I'm going in the voting booth, and I don't plan on casting a vote for president. I will vote for other positions. Those are important," she said.

It's fine if you want to do that. If you want to throw away your vote, that's your business.

That's your business if you're not the head of an organization that is devoted to electing Democrats and in turning out the youth vote.

If you refuse to do that, to support the Democratic nominee or to encourage other young people to vote for Democrats, then you have ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS being the president of a Young Democrats chapter. If your intention is to vote present, then you need to step aside and let a committed Democrat run the organization.

Do you think, for one second, that this would be tolerated on the other side of the aisle? If it were a Young Republicans chapter president saying that he or she wouldn't vote for McCain, that person would be kicked out of that position in a heartbeat.

I realize that this woman may very well come around and change her mind before the election. But statements like this do lasting damage in a time when we need to unify the party.

Oh and by the way, you don't vote "present" in the voting booth. You press the "abstain" button. Dumbass.

(H/t Kleinheider)

The Return Of The Roundup, 6-08-08

The "thrill of victory and agony of defeat* as history was made this week" edition of the weekly unpredictable TennViews roundup featuring primary reaction from Tennessee's best bloggers.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera:: It's done. It's over. It's an historic night.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: : Clinging to past prejudices in light of change is a sure sign of extinction.

• Don Williams:: It also delivered a message in a bottle to future historians. In a speech she surely knew would be history-making, no matter what she said or how she said it, she said and did all the right things.

• TNDP: Last night the votes were counted. All across the country, from Maine to Montana, two superior candidates drew voters into the Democratic fold in record numbers. As a Democratic Party, we are ready to unite. We are ready to work. We are ready to win.

• KnoxViews: These are some kick-ass numbers across the board for Democrats.

• Lean Left: It is truly a remarkable achievement and an unalloyed good. There is a lot more work to be done, that is true, but we should take a moment to stop and appreciate what has been achieved.

• Left of the Dial: 2008 wasn’t supposed to be this difficult. This primary season has made the hanging chads and Supreme Court decision of 2000 and Swift Boat ads of 2004 seem like pleasant memories.

• LeftWingCracker:: Joy, sadness, apprehension.

• Sean Braisted: Its been a long time coming, and we are glad to have been a part of this historic victory.

• Sharon Cobb:: Tears are just streaming down my face. This is one of the most extraordinary moments in my life, and in the lives of millions of Americans.

• Silence Isn't Golden:: There will be talk in the coming days about how to best unify the party. But in the meantime, it's time to celebrate!

• Tennessee Guerilla Women:: It's been a very rough week for Hillary supporters. I know many of you are grieving, as I am.

• Vibinc:: I know I've been hard on you. I know I said some things that, perhaps cross the margins of polite discussion. Still, despite it all, we are Democrats, and I thank you for your unequivocal support for the Democratic nominee.

• WhitesCreek Journal:: It's now time to turn away from the divisiveness of this Primary contest. Sexism did not cause Hillary to lose... And, Racism did not and will not keep Obama from winning

(*RIP Jim McKay)

EMILY's List Endorsement Makes DailyKos Front Page

An excellent diary about how EMILY's List is endorsing a candidate who's campaign has spread racism, homophobia, and anti-Semitism simply because she happens to have a vagina here.

As far as I'm concerned, it's going to take certain traditional feminist organizations a long time to recover any sort of credibility from this election cycle. The Steve Cohen-Nikki Tinker situation is quite different from Obama-Clinton. In the latter, both candidates had a long record of fighting for women's rights. In the former situation, Nikki Tinker won't say how she'd vote on issues of reproductive rights or gay rights. Steve Cohen, meanwhile, has been on the forefront of both of those issues for the last 25 years.

Donate to Steve Cohen's campaign to offset EMILY's List here.

Here You Go, McCain Feminists

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regarding John McCain's "maverick" record on women's rights, in a very succinct post from Planned Parenthood:

John McCain is one of only a few Senators to earn a Zero percent lifetime rating from Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund, and he only scored that high because the organization doesn’t have a lower rating. Let’s look at how he accomplished this.

Before we look at how we accomplished this, bear in mind that Obama's lifetime rating is 100%.

It's not just that McCain opposes abortion and wants to overturn Roe v. Wade. It's that he has voted in line with the ultimate form of hypocrisy from the Christian Right, voting against tangible measures to reduce the number of abortions:

He voted against requiring health care plans to cover birth control (3/22/03).

He voted against comprehensive, medically accurate sex education (7/25/06).

He voted against international family planning funding (3/14/96).

He voted against funding to prevent teen and unintended pregnancies (3/17/05).

He voted against public education for emergency contraception (3/17/05).

And he voted against restoring Medicaid funding that could be used for family planning for low-income women (3/17/05).

And yet some of you would rather vote for the "maverick" than for the guy with a 100% lifetime rating who just happened to defeat a woman in the primary. It's shameful.

The First Bank Of The Antichrist

A friend of mine posted this link on Facebook for a service called "You've Been Left Behind." For the low price of $40 a year (payable through PayPal so you know it's not a scam or anything), you can store letters or documents in their server until you get Raptured up. The system will be triggered if you don't log in for six days, and the documents will be sent to the email addresses you specify. In that way, you can send a message "from Heaven" in the hopes of "saving" your loved ones.

Can I just say, if anyone out there is dumb enough to pay for something like this, then I really hope you do get Raptured up, just so that those of us Left Behind heathens no longer have to deal with your sorry ass!

Feel Good Friday--Middle School Flashback Edition

Ah, middle school. A time when we wondered why the boys in our school couldn't be more like Nick, A.J, Brian, Howie, and Kevin. Now we're a little older and we'll just settle for a guy who doesn't roll his eyes when we want to dance in the club.

Bellevue Blues--Don't Blame Us

Mike Byrd on Eric Crafton:

You've created a monster, Nashville (or should we just blame Bellevue?)

I would just like to respond that Eric Crafton is not the Councilman for ALL of Bellevue. I'm in Bellevue and I'm in Carter Todd's district. And a good chunk of Emily Evans' district is in Bellevue as well. Bellevue gave you guys two good Council members, so don't blame all of Bellevue for Eric Crafton.

Those of you in the "trendy" parts of town...does it feel good to slam those of us in the 221? There are equally as many idiots on the other side of the river. Just because we don't have our own funny bumper stickers like they do in East Nashville doesn't make us any less worthy!

YASNI Time!

It's the first week of June, and that can only mean one thing--it's time to start submitting your entries for the Nashville Scene's 2008 You Are So Nashville If... issue!

I got four in last year--you're so Nashville if:

• You were OUTRAGED that Carrie Underwood beat you at the CMA's
• You have no problem with the Iraq War, yet think "The Things They Carried" is too graphic for a high school reading list
• You go to a popular Japanese hibachi restaurant, and your waiter, your chef, and most of the staff are Mexican
• You live in Music City, yet have to drive to Manchester to see a decent summer concert

I also had a runner-up two years ago with "You're the only one who hasn't run into Nicole Kidman in Green Hills."

I've got some good ones this year. Stay tuned...

Put Your Hands Up For Detroit (Or Not)

I had this whole idea for tying the primary back to the Stanley Cup finals, making fun of Clinton-supporter rhetoric. I was going to do this whole long post about how EVERY GAME should be played and every point should be counted, even though Detroit had already clinched the Stanley Cup in Game 6.

But at this point, it just seems unnecessary. It's time to let Hillary Clinton go and to start directing the jokes at John McCain. I honestly think McCain could play for the Red Wings. After all, he and Chris Chelios are about the same age.

So, first of all, congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings on their championship season. I look forward to seeing y'all again next year in Smashville, when half your team has retired and the Predators are just starting to peak. Also, big kudos to the Pittsburgh fans for showing some class and respect at the end by sticking around to applaud when Detroit was celebrating winning the Cup. I somehow get the feeling that if the situation were reversed and Pittsburgh had won the Cup in Detroit, the Wings fans would be throwing stuff on the ice and booing the whole way through.

Lyndon Barack Johnson

My mother is a great admirer of Lyndon Johnson, in particular of the tactics he used to pass legislation. She used to tell me how he would corner members of Congress in places like the restroom to personally try and convince them to support his policies. Those tactics showed a willingness to cooperate, but at the same time, left no doubt who was in charge.

Does anyone else see shades of that in Obama?

Furthermore, during a Senate vote Wednesday, Obama dragged Lieberman by the hand to a far corner of the Senate chamber and engaged in what appeared to reporters in the gallery as an intense, three-minute conversation.

While it was unclear what the two were discussing, the body language suggested that Obama was trying to convince Lieberman of something and his stance appeared slightly intimidating.

Using forceful, but not angry, hand gestures, Obama literally backed up Lieberman against the wall, leaned in very close at times, and appeared to be trying to dominate the conversation, as the two talked over each other in a few instances.

I'm guessing this was in response to Lieberman going to bat for his BFF John McCain at the AIPAC conference, even after no less than Hillary Clinton herself told the audience that Obama is a friend to Israel.

We of course don't know what Obama said to Lieberman. It's not hard to speculate though. He likely wasn't trying to convince Lieberman that he'd be good for Israel, it's not as if Lieberman's going to be swayed. Obama was letting Lieberman know, in no uncertain terms, who is in charge of the Democratic Party now. While Harry Reid may have allowed Lieberman to continue to caucus with the Democrats even as a Republican-leaning independent, that will come to a quick end if he continues to attack the Democratic nominee.

I say let the shande Lieberman go. I'm confident that we'll get a big enough majority in the Senate this cycle that Lieberman's political leanings will be moot anyway.

Just Keep Telling Yourself That, Honey

I haven't had much time for blogging over the last few days, I'm in Day 3 of my new job and still trying to figure everything out. I just want to add my $0.02 to the latest Tennessee Guerilla Whiners saga.

By all means, let Egalia and the rest of her friends go. Let them vote for McCain or Cynthia McKinney (which is basically the same thing). It's not going to change the results here in Tennessee one iota. And besides, perhaps they would be more comfortable among the Republicans or the Greens, who insist on ideological purity and sweep dissent under the rug.

And it's not like they'd be hurt under a McCain presidency. Botched back alley abortions can't possibly be as painful as everyone says. That's just a lie promoted by self-hating feminist Obamatrons and by the Hillary-hating media to scare Hillary supporters. John McCain will be GREAT for women...

...as long as you can afford the plane ticket/tank of gas to get to Canada! If not, well, that's just too damn bad.

Also:
LWC
Aunt B.
Coyote Chronicles

AP: Obama Clinches Nomination

Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday, the Associated Press reported, citing its tally of convention delegates. He would become the first black candidate ever to lead a major U.S. party into a fall campaign for the White House.

I don't expect Hillary to truly concede tonight. It's going to be a speech that does not use a single word even remotely related to "concede." She'll follow the Rudy Giuliani-Fred Thompson trend of making a non-concession concession, if that makes any sense.

But even if she does as little as simply acknowledge that Obama has enough delegates, it will be more than enough. She can talk all she wants about the big states and the popular vote, but Obama will have won the only relevant metric.

There will be talk in the coming days about how to best unify the party. But in the meantime, it's time to celebrate!

Nashville Loves Barack Obama Montana and South Dakota Returns Party
Rosepepper Cantina
1907 Eastland Avenue
8:00

I think I may have to buy a round of margaritas for everyone's hard work!

UPDATE: As I was about to publish this, I got an e-mail saying there's going to be ANOTHER watch party, also at 8:00, at Flying Saucer downtown. I'm not sure which one I'm going to, most likely Flying Saucer since that's closer (marginally) to my end of town, but I'll buy a round wherever!

UPDATE 2: It's at Flying Saucer, 8:00

Ya Know

If a Democrat had said this, we'd be discussing how that Democrat is elitist, snobbish, egg-headed, bigoted, and out of touch with hard-working Americans. But I guess it's not entirely his fault, it's hard not to be out of touch when you live in a bunker and sleep in a coffin.

25 Words

On Saturday, I heard Phil Bredesen give the same speech twice in one day, first at the YDA National Spring Conference and then at Jackson Day. It was an interesting speech, albeit one that raised serious issues for me.

I agreed with several of his points. His statement that Hillary supporters who say they won't vote for Obama or Obama supporters who say they won't vote for Hillary need to "grow up" and "stop acting like spoiled brats" drew loud cheers from both audiences. In all honesty, Bredesen probably came as close to saying that he supports Obama without outright saying it (although I guess we'll know for sure by mid-week). He commended Obama for his engagement of the youth vote, and even took what I saw as a back-handed swipe at Bill Clinton, noting that the last two Democratic Presidents, although good presidents, didn't inspire an entire movement the way Obama has.

But the central point of his speech was that Democrats must do a better job of defining what we stand for. The Republicans can generally do this in 25 words or less, and that's what we need to aim for. He recounted a story of visiting a family with young children in Lawrence County back in 2000 to campaign for a State House candidate, and how he thought they should have been a natural constituency for the Democrats. But the family was planning on voting for the Republicans, since they had a better understanding of where they stood.

This was not my central disagreement with the Governor. I fully agree that Democrats need to do a better job of framing ourselves and the debate in general. However, I would point out that part of the reason why Obama has done so well is precisely that he doesn't reduce his arguments to simple sound bites.

My real issue came after the speech. During the Q&A, someone asked Bredesen about his budget cuts, and he proudly stated that he thought this was something that the family in Lawrence County would think was fair. Now, over the weekend, I roomed with the Vice President of the UTK College Democrats, Amber Clark (my new friend even though she's a Hillary supporter). After the speech, she went up to Bredesen and told him her story--she and her father had been cut from TennCare immediately after it was cut. Bredesen had mentioned the new program, CoverTN, in his speech, but she told him that it was still too expensive for her family, and not a lot of doctors accept it anyway. She asked him what he planned to do to make CoverTN more accessible and more widely accepted.

Not only did Bredesen give an extremely vague answer, he almost seemed irritated to even be asked the question.

Look at the question again. There was nothing hostile about it; it's a perfectly valid question. Bredesen is pushing CoverTN as this grand solution, but it obviously needs some work. And if you're going to be advocating these policies, then you'd better be prepared to defend them and answer concerns about them.

Yes, maybe the budget cuts would sound fair to the family in Lawrence County, but would that be at the expense of a family in Fentress County?

In a nutshell, this is why I don't want Bredesen to be anywhere near an Obama ticket.

My Very First Jackson Day

Alternate Title 1: I Really Am Press, I Swear I'm Not Just Here For The Open Bar

Alternate Title 2: Steve Cohen Probably Thinks I'm Totally Whacko

Alternate Title 3: Claire McCaskill = FABULOUS

On Saturday night I had the privilege of attending my very first Jackson Day fundraiser for the Tennessee Democratic Party, at the Wildhorse Saloon. I was invited to go as a member of the media (a first for me, something I still find really funny), so here is my write-up at the event.

I almost didn't get in. I went over there with another girl who was supposed to be a volunteer. But for some reason, it hadn't occurred to either one of us that we were supposed to get credentials ahead of time, and security was not about to let us in. Finally, a friend of ours who was already inside came out and vouched for us.

But finally, I made my way upstairs to the VIP area for press availability. Phil Bredesen answered a few questions about what he makes of the Democratic nomination process (vague answer) and if he'll endorse (even more vague answer). We only had a few minutes, so I didn't ask questions, I just took pictures.



(Note: The pictures of Bredesen were the only ones that turned out, the lighting inside Wildhorse was not conducive to photos)

Afterwards, I worked the room, seeing familiar faces including Mayor Dean and several people with whom I worked on the Ford campaign. A slightly awkward moment came when Bob Tuke saw me and joked about how he heard I was hanging out with a rival candidate...but bear in mind, I'm PRESS now!

But the best moment of the night came while I was still upstairs in the VIP area. I ran into the esteemed Congressman from Memphis, Steve Cohen. In a completely starstruck state, I went up to him, introduced myself, and explained that as a fellow Southern Jewish Democrat, I consider him my hero (I know that sounds dorky, but it's true). He thanked me warmly, asked me about myself and told me that he'd be glad to show me around Washington if I ever get up there again. At any rate, he probably now thinks I'm completely whacko, but honestly, meeting him was far more exciting than meeting Bredesen.

A little while later, they served dinner and the keynote speeches began. Bredesen gave the EXACT same speech as he had at the Young Democrats conference that afternoon (more on that speech in the next post), and Steve Cohen introduced the Senator from Missouri, Claire McCaskill. Senator McCaskill gave an amazing speech about how she thinks of the Democratic Party like the potluck dinners at her church when she was a girl, where we're not afraid to help those in need, and that there is nothing strange about helping a stranger. I'm so relieved that I get to trade Lamar! and Corkscrew for her in the fall.

Overall, the TNDP raised a lot of money. Clinton and Obama supporters got along quite nicely for the most part, and everyone cheered Bredesen's point about how people who say they won't vote for the other candidate "need to grow up." And I had a fabulous time; I really hope they invite me back!