In Case You Didn't Hear Me Screaming

I'M TOTALLY FINISHED WITH MY FIRST YEAR OF LAW SCHOOL!!!!

I SURVIVED!!!

YAAAAAAAY!!!!

Following Up On Drawing Lines In The Sand

Yesterday, while responding to Rep. John Litz's comments about how Tennessee Democrats are not "baby-killing, gun-stealing, tree-huggers," I noted:

God forbid that Democrats should stand up for not allowing our mountaintops to be blown off, our natural spaces run down by overdevelopment, and our towns being buried under runaway fly ash.

This morning I received an email from Ward Cammack spokesman Mark Brown, who assures me that Cammack will ban mountaintop removal mining as Governor. It's a high priority for him and he will work to get an outright ban through the General Assembly.

Ladies and gentlemen, I'm pleased to announce that we have finally gotten a specific policy proposal out of one of our canddiates! And it's an encouraging one too!

All The News That Breaks While I'm In An Exam

In the middle of my Criminal Law exam today, Senator Andy Berke announced that he will neither run for Governor nor for Zach Wamp's seat in Congress next year:

Many people have encouraged me to run for Governor or Congress in 2010. I can’t tell you how much those words of support have meant to me, Monique, and our family.

I wanted you to hear directly from me that I have decided I will not be a candidate for Governor or Congress in 2010. I believe I can most help the state and the people who live here by continuing to serve in the State Senate.

Over several months I have met with civic, business and labor leaders, as well as scores of concern citizens across the state. All agree that we need a leader to build on the progress made under Governor Bredesen as we face these tough economic times and an increasingly uncertain future.

It's certainly a shame. Andy Berke is, in my humble opinion, one of the few high-up Democrats in this state who gets it, who understand how we can win without compromising key Democratic values. As such, we need him in higher office. But I can certainly understand wanting to wait it out one more cycle. Maybe we'll see him in 2012--an all Chattanooga showdown for Bob Corker's Senate seat, perhaps?

So, for those of us politicos who breathlessly analyze every possible implication of moves like this, what does this mean for the 2010 governor's race, and more specifically for the Democratic nomination in that race?

Granted, I realize that a prediction this far out will be about as accurate as a prediction of who will win the American League based on a Yankees loss (or several) in April. But I would have to say that on balance, this helps Ward Cammack, and Kim McMillan to a lesser extent. Berke's exit leaves both East Tennessee and the Democratic base in Nashville wide open. It's difficult right now to figure out any substantive difference between Roy Herron and Mike McWherter, other than the fact that the latter has a famous last name. At any rate they'll be too tied up trying to shore up West Tennessee to make any inroads further east anytime soon. And no one's quite sure what Jim Kyle is up to, but he may very well have already missed the boat to jump in.

Cammack, so far, has been by far the most visible candidate, releasing a second campaign video today. While these videos have been big on overarching messages and thin on specific policy proposals, I disagree with Jeff Woods from the Scene (surprise!) that it amounts to "bullshit." At least he's saying SOMETHING, which is more than you can say for our other candidates.

If I could say one thing to each of our candidates though, it would be this. It doesn't matter how conservative or liberal you are. What matters is that you can articulate what you stand for, and what you stand for as a Democrat. I feel like I'll be saying this until I'm blue in the face, but I don't care how pro-gun or anti-choice you are as long as you can articulate for what other reasons you are a Democrat. Surely this shouldn't be so difficult if you chose to run with a "D" by your name? Andy Berke understood that if all a Democrat can do try and out-Republican the Republican, they will always lose. It's what makes Rep. John Litz's comments about how Tennessee Democrats are not "baby-killing, gun-stealing, tree-huggers" like they are out in California so infuriating. First, it completely concedes the terms of the debate to the Republicans, and implicitly acknowledges that the Republican framing of the issues is correct. If you're conceding that, then why on Earth should the average voter even consider voting for you as a Democrat? Furthermore, Democrats will never win back a majority in this state if we can never articulate what it is that we stand for. All Democrats like Litz seem to be able to do is say what we're not. But the voters in 2008 perceived, and correctly I think, that Tennessee Democrats failed to stand for anything in particular.

That's not even getting into the point of God forbid that Democrats should stand up for not allowing our mountaintops to be blown off, our natural spaces run down by overdevelopment, and our towns being buried under runaway fly ash. At the "blogger meeting" last December, someone (I think it was my dear Aunt B. but I don't quite remember) asked a question that stuck with me. We liberals completely accept that some issues will not go our way in a state like this. But at what point do we stop conceding? We concede that we may not have legal gay marriage in this state anytime soon, but do we also concede on banning gay adoptions, for example? Or do we stand up and say, "No, we're Democrats and we believe that children are better off in loving families than in the custody of the state"? At what point do we draw our line in the sand? Calvin Rye recently spoke with both Cammack and McMillan on this topic and they both agreed that we do, in fact, draw a very big line in the sand right here and stand up for our values. That's an encouraging sign, but I doubt that the rest of the Democratic Party has gotten the memo.

Aunt B. calls on you to be a proud Democrat or go home. To that I'm going to add--stand for something, or sit your ass back down.

(Wow, that was a lot considering I'm still technically on hiatus for another week)

Introducing The Newest Tennessee Titan...

Rutgers wide receiver Kenny Britt:



Personally, I think Chris Johnson set the bar for awesome highlight videos, but this will do.

The first thing you'll notice is how each play, it takes more than one defender to tackle him. Britt is a big receiver at 6'3", 218 pounds. While he wasn't the fastest receiver in the draft, he's probably one of the best route runners. He'll be a deep threat when the Titans throw, and his size means he'll be able to block when the Titans run the ball. Ultimately, a good selection if we were going to take a first-round receiver.

The trade rumors were flying fast and furious this morning, with speculation that the Titans would trade LenDale White and a second-round pick to the Cardinals for Anquan Boldin. When the camera kept panning Ohio State RB Beanie Wells during the Titans pick, it seemed to be confirmation of the rumors--the Titans would draft him for trade bait. But that turned out to be a cruel, cruel tease. But the Titans ultimately got a good value in the first round.

Here's hoping we get D.J. Moore in the second!

Feel Good Friday--American Idol Edition

Since I don't want to talk about politics now, but only frivolous things, here's your American Idol-themed Feel Good Friday.

As I've said before, I HEART Adam Lambert. I don't care how flaming gay he is, he's the only original one they have on that show. He'd better win over Hokey Danny Gokey, that's for sure.

So here is your soon-to-be-anointed and totally fabulous American Idol Adam Lambert, singing in Hebrew, since as we all know the Jews control Hollywood:

Let's Talk About The NFL Draft Instead Of Politics

I don't want to talk about politics tonight. I'll weigh in at some point (after exams are over maybe), but in the meantime, read these people to understand why I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that this may not be my battle after all.

So, because I trust Jeff Fisher far more than I trust my governor, let's discuss the NFL Draft this weekend, and who the Titans might take.

The Titans have 10 picks in the draft, leading to speculation that they may deal at least a few of them away in trades. GM Mike Reinfeldt has hinted for several days now that the Titans may be in the market for a veteran wide receiver, and have been in contact with the Cardinals about Anquan Boldin. The Cards reportedly want a first and third round pick for him.

Personally, I want to see this happen. I will be holding out a hope that this happens until Roger Goodell gets up on the podium and says "With the 30th pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, the Tennessee Titans select..." The odds of the Titans trading for Boldin are admittedly pretty low--the Titans prefer to build up from the draft rather than trading for big names, and even if they wanted to trade, the 30th pick may not be high enough for the Cardinals.

Still, a wide receiver is certainly this team's greatest need. Signing Nate Washington from the Steelers was a good start, but it's only a start. The Titans pride themselves on having a strong running game, but Chris Johnson can't do it all on his own. Look at the Steelers, another "running team"--they won the Super Bowl not by relying on just one aspect of the offense, but by having a balanced attack. The play that actually won them the Super Bowl was a beautiful pass to Santonio Holmes.

So, if the Titans don't trade for Boldin, might they draft a receiver? The best receivers in the draft, Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech and Jeremy Maclin of Mizzou, will be long gone by pick #30. Percy Harvin of Florida may drop to us, but I'm worried about his off-field issues, and the Titans will certainly take a hard look at that in light of the Pacman debacle. However, there's no doubt about his speed and hands. I also like Hakeem Nicks of UNC if they go this route.

What about on defense? We could use an LB or a CB. I like Rey Maualuga of USC on the line, and Alphonso Smith of Wake Forest at CB. Fellow CB Vontae Davis of Illinois has raised a lot of buzz, but he too has experienced some troublesome off-field issues.

Of course, I would love it if the Titans took D.J. Moore out of Vanderbilt, seeing how they've never drafted out of Vandy and how D.J. can handle returns, but we'll have to see if he's still available in the second round. D.J. was once projected to go as high as mid-first round, but a slow 40 in the Combine pushed him down.

Who else might the Titans draft or trade for?

Bellevue Blues--Metro Council Smackdown!

Our former Metro Councilman from Bellevue (now an at-large Councilman after his term limits expired, nothing shady about that at all) Charlie Tygard had this to say about the Councilwoman up Highway 100, Emily Evans, and her "pointed questions" about stormwater fees and the new convention center in Nashville:

"I don't know why she would risk political capital and the wrath of the administration," said Tygard, who often clashed with Dean's predecessor, Bill Purcell. "She may have gone out of her way to continue to antagonize them."

Councilwoman, I know you don't need me to tell you this, but if Charlie Tygard is telling you to do one thing, do exactly the opposite! Hell, remind people that he criticized you when you run for re-election in 2011, it can only help!

Now, I'm a fan of both Karl Dean and Emily Evans--and I'd like to see a new convention center built. That doesn't mean we shouldn't ask all the relevant questions and get all the relevant facts before coming to a decision. Emily Evans is doing her job by asking the questions, and doing a damned good job of it. Charlie Tygard never understood that to be a part of his job, he thought his only job was to sign off on more and more ugly condo buildings and big box stores in his part of town.

And I can't quite shake the feeling that if she were a man, she wouldn't be labelled as "aggressive" but as "hard-hitting" or "fierecely representing his constituents."

UPDATE: I didn't even catch this gem on the last page of the article:

But Tygard said Evans sometimes looks like she wants to prove she's the smartest person in the room. At a convention center meeting last week, Evans was quizzing David Levy, a Goldman Sachs investment banker who is advising the administration on financing. She said she would "go pull the OS" to look up a detail.

The use of that shorthand for "official statement," a legal document describing a bond issue, caused one official working on the project to whisper to a colleague that Evans was showing off.

"Is the goal to sway the council or to embarrass the finance director?" Tygard said. "Sometimes it comes off like she's trying to embarrass the finance director."

Likewise Charlie Tygard, you come off like you were probably dropped on your head multiple times as a child. Whoops, she used a phrase that you didn't understand. Perhaps you should go talk to Senator Doug Henry about "the Twitter" and all those other crazy things the kids are doing these days.

And, here's the thing--you would never, EVER, hear Councilwoman Evans say anything negative like this about a fellow council member, in public or otherwise. I spoke to her at a dinner party back in December, right in the thick of the English-Only fight, and she had nothing but nice things to say about Eric Crafton. That's because she is a class act, while Charlie Tygard wouldn't know what class was if it jumped up and smacked him upside the head.

You'll Know His Name (Whether You Like It Or Not)

We interrupt our regularly scheduled exam period hiatus to bring you this observation about a 2010 gubernatorial candidate.

Over the last week, it seems that Republican-turned Democratic Nashville businessman Ward Cammack has been all over the place. Today he wrote an op-ed for the Jackson Sun on the economy, called Bill Haslam out (sort of) for the price-gouging Pilot Oil committed during Hurricane Ike, and may very well have scooped everyone on AIG's problems in Tennessee. This was in addition to appearing at every single even remotely political event in the state. It's early yet, but there's no doubt that of all the gubernatorial candidates, official and unofficial, he's doing the most consistent job of keeping his name in the papers.

So what's going on here? I think I know--it's the Karl Dean Strategy, 2.0

I noted back in February that Cammack hired Murphy Putnam Media, the same media team that brought you Mayor Dean back in 2007. Karl Dean came into the race with the least amount of name recognition of any candidate, as Cammack is doing now. With Dean, they had to make up a large name recognition deficit in a short amount of time, so there was no time for subtlety or letting it happen organically. No, it was necessary to hammer the name "Karl Dean" into the city's collective subconscious by flooding the airwaves, the newspapers, and the Internet. You may not have known who Karl Dean was in the beginning of 2007, but you sure did by the election. Even if all you knew about him was that he appeared on TV every commercial break to stand on a bridge and say "It's all connected!", you remembered the name in the voting booth.

When you're that far behind in name recognition, you can't afford to be subtle. You have to drill your name into the voters' heads, every waking moment of every day. Fundraising and a coherent platform can come later on (although in Cammack's case, I'm not sure he's too worried about the former).

It seems as though they're applying this strategy to the Cammack campaign, hitting the ground early, and hitting it hard. Of course it's still early, but if he sticks with it, every voter in the state of Tennessee will know Ward Cammack's name by this time next year.

Well played sir, well played.

Feel Good Friday--Milestones Edition

At 12 noon today, I walked out of my very last class as a first-year law student. It's all done!

...except that it's not. Finishing classes only means that I now have exams over the next two weeks, and then the write-on competition to make it onto one of the law journals for next year the following week. It's "Congratulations on finishing your exams and surviving your first year of law school, now you get to spend another week writing a 7-8 page paper with 14-16 pages of endnotes just so that you can spend next semester writing a 50(!) page paper that might--MIGHT--be published somewhere, and you need to do all of this in order to have any chance of getting a job!"

So yes, I'm done, but not really. Just as I did last semester, I'm going on hiatus from blogging for the next few weeks.

And in the meantime, here's a montage to pump me up for all the work I have to do:

BOOM!

In order to retire from your job, first you have to work at it for a long time. You have to get to a certain age. Then you have to decide that you want to stop working and retire. Then you have to make a speech. And then in order to retire, you have to stop working.

And for your team to win, they have to score more touchdowns than the other team!

All "Thank you Mr. Obvious" jokes aside, he will be missed:

John Madden is retiring from football announcing, where his enthusiastic, down-to-earth style made him one of sports' most popular broadcasters for three decades.

The Hall of Fame coach spent the last three seasons on NBC's "Sunday Night Football." His final telecast was the Super Bowl in February.

"You know at some point you have to do this -- I got to that point," Madden said on his Bay Area radio show Thursday. "The thing that made it hard is not because I'm second guessing, `is it the right decision?' But I enjoyed it so damn much.

"I enjoyed the game and the players and the coaches and the film and the travel and everything."

His obvious analyses and catch-phrases made him the target of jokes over the years, but he came to be one of the best-known faces of the NFL in the last 30 years.

I wonder though, will he still attach his name to the Madden NFL video game every year? I hope so. As a football fan I'll miss the yearly speculation over whether or not the "Madden Cover Curse" is real or not. And if the curse is over, that means we'll have to come up with a new excuse for Vince Young.

My Sunday nights just won't be the same...

Join Andy Berke For Remembrance

A message from Senator Andy Berke about an important event:

Next Tuesday, I am honored to host the Holocaust Commission's Remembrance Day at our State Capitol. This important event will honor those who survived that time, honor those we lost, and remind us of the lessons we have learned.

And some more information about the event from the Tennessee Holocaust Commission:

The Tennessee Holocaust Commission invites you to join us at the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration, Tuesday, April 21, 2009 from 12:30 p.m.-1:30 p.m., in the Old Supreme Court Chamber, first floor, State Capitol.

This year’s program “We Shall Never Forget” will feature readings, music and prayer to remember the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust, honor the survivors, their families and the brave service men who librated the camps. We will also recognize the winners of the 2009 Belz-Lipman Holocaust Educator of the Year Award.

Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom HaShoah, in Hebrew) was first commemorated in the United States in 1979. In October of 1980, President Jimmy Carter established a Holocaust commission to provide guidance for the national Day of Remembrance. With this guidance, the Tennessee State Legislature passed an act establishing the Tennessee Holocaust Commission to promote remembrance and inspire education about the Holocaust to all its citizens.

For 25 years the commission in cooperation with the state holds an annual day of remembrance, which remains a testament to the commitment of all Tennesseans to “never forget” those who perished in the Holocaust.

We invite you to join us in remembering the victims of the Holocaust. If you have any questions about the 2009 Days of Remembrance Commemoration, please contact Jodi Elowitz at the Tennessee Holocaust Commission at 615-343-2563 or e-mail at jodi.elowitz@vanderbilt.edu.

A Classy Tea Party

Really classy, in fact (via Twitter, from the Chicago tea party):


I'm sure these are the same people who absolutely LOVE Jews--and that is why it's so important to them that they save us from eternal damnation.

One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor

As we all know, it wouldn't be Tennessee if any of our decisions concerning liquor and liquor consumption made any sense or bore any consistency whatsoever.

So on the day we find out that the legislation to legalize the sale of wine in grocery stores is being withdrawn for this year, over fears that the increased availability of wine would lead to irresponsible drinking and drunk driving, we also find out that:

Come May 5, a Franklin restaurant wants to give the city a new designation: Tequila shot capitol of the world.

SOL Restaurant organizers hope to have more than 1,300 people taking a toast of tequila during the restaurant’s Cinco de Mayo outdoor festival, which would break the current world record. The downtown restaurant is located at the corner of Fourth and Main.

I have nothing against a restaurant trying to break the world tequila shot record. Hell, I've already made a mental note to go and check it out. But for those of us who want common-sense liquor laws in Tennessee, this is just rubbing margarita salt into the wound.

How To Teabag

The ladies from "Sex and the City" explain how it works. Although I normally identify with Carrie, I would totally be Miranda were this conversation happening in real life:

(WARNING: Video not appropriate for work, class, around small children, around the elderly, around anyone who gets offended by anything remotely sexual)

Today In History

On this date in 1947, 62 years ago, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball in his debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite enduring abuse from fans and players from other teams, he went on to have an award-winning career in baseball and paved the way for all minority athletes to succeed in the pros. Although his #42 was retired throughout MLB in 1997, all players, coaches, and umpires will wear #42 on the field today in commemoration of Robinson's achievements.

And according to the tea-baggers, integrated baseball was a socialist plot in which Jackie Robinson "played the race card" in order to trick a gullible league into letting him play, thus trampling on their rights as Americans to only root for white players.

Clarence Thomas--Activist Judge?

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas does not give very many public speeches. After reading this, I believe that to be a good thing:

The event, on March 31, was devoted to the Bill of Rights, but Justice Thomas did not embrace the document, and he proposed a couple of alternatives.

“Today there is much focus on our rights,” Justice Thomas said. “Indeed, I think there is a proliferation of rights.”

“I am often surprised by the virtual nobility that seems to be accorded those with grievances,” he said. “Shouldn’t there at least be equal time for our Bill of Obligations and our Bill of Responsibilities?”

Funny, listening to the right, I thought most of our rights were being taken away, not that there are too many of them. Can you even imagine what the teabaggers would do had this been said by Ruth Bader Ginsburg or by John Paul Stevens?

And no, there does not need to be "equal time" for "our Bill of Obligations or Bill of Responsibilities," because whatever they are, they're not in the Constitution. The Constitution proscribes the role of government, and the Bill of Rights was added on as an extra protection for private citizens. These rights are the law of the land, and we certainly don't "owe" anything for them.

Which Democrat Stood Up For Voters?

Tonight, the State Senate passed SB0150, to require photo ID to vote. Never mind that no one can cite an actual instance of fake people voting in Tennessee, or that this will place very heavy burdens on citizens who don't have driver's licenses--no, it wouldn't be the the Tennessee legislature if we found solutions to actual problems, rather than solutions in search of problems.

What I find most offensive about this bill is that it requires those who cannot afford the fees to obtain a voter ID to sign a "pauper's oath." That phrase was taken out of the bill under amendment and replaced with "affidavit of identity," except that in the affidavit, you must still affirm that you are in fact a pauper. Because even with foreclosures and job losses, we're obviously not ostracizing the poor enough.

And naturally, the same people who supported this are also opposed to requiring paper receipts to voters from electronic voting machines. History tells us that it is not the voters but those who count the votes who really matters, but it wouldn't be Tennessee if we actually learned anything from history. Concerns about voter fraud end where the gravy train begins.

The vote on this was 29-3. The roll call isn't up yet, but I do know how two of our Democratic legislators considering a run for Governor next year voted. I am watching their votes closely.

Roy Herron voted yes. Andy Berke voted no.

You can best believe that come the primary, I will remember that Senator Berke stood against this false propaganda and against voter suppression. I will remember that unlike so many Democrats in the legislature, Senator Berke actually has a spine.

Our Long National Nightmare Is Over

Because, according to a leaked report from the Washington Post, Sasha and Malia Obama FINALLY have their puppy, a Portuguese Water Dog named Bo!



Want...to...snorgle...cute...curly...puppy!!!

The name didn't come from the President's initials (although that's a funny coincidence) but because the girls' cousins have a cat with the same name.

Now, the Obamas had wanted a rescue dog, but had to balance that with Malia's allergies. So a solution was found:

The choice of a Portie raised one complication. The Obamas have long said they wanted a rescue dog. But the carefully bred PWDs almost never end up in shelters. Bo had been living with another family, but it wasn't a good fit, so the Kennedys acquired him for the Obamas.

As for the rescue pledge, the Obamas came up with a solution intended to lend a serious symbolic note: They're going to make a donation to the D.C. Humane Society.

Shelters need both people to adopt and resources to keep doing their great work, after all.

Now the only question remaining is, will the dog be allowed to take his rightful place in the White House, or will Senate Republicans filibuster his confirmation over something completely unrelated?

Kosher For Passover Eye Candy

The White House Seder (using Maxwell House haggadahs, natch):




The funny thing is, I know someone in this picture, the blonde guy in the middle looking towards the camera with his mouth open. He went to Cornell. He was friends with my big in my sorority.

I want to know how the Seder went. Did they leave the White House door open for Elijah, even if that would create security issues? Did Sasha, as the youngest, have to sing the Four Questions? Did she and Malia go searching for the Afikomen?

Regardless, this looks like a classy and tasteful affair, with everyone enjoying themselves and paying attention, with no one getting sidetracked or impatient. So in other words, completely unlike any Seder I've ever been to.

Feel Good Friday--AP Edition

Christian Grantham, Newscoma, and Michael Silence at KnoxNews have been all over such a ridiculous, embarrassing story that it bears repeating. Country radio station WTNQ-FM in LaFollette, TN--an Associated Press affiliate--posted YouTube videos from AP's official YouTube channel to their website, and subsequently got a cease and desist letter--from AP!

To break that down--an AP affiliate used AP content that was in the public domain anyway by virtue of being on YouTube (with an embed code so that anyone can post it anywhere else!), and was threatened with legal trouble. I'm honestly embarrassed for AP's legal team. Perhaps they need to spend less time worrying about little affiliates and more time worrying about how newspapers are dying out. And at some point, figure out how YouTube works.

So in honor of WTNQ-FM, here are a whole bunch of AP videos from their YouTube channel. Cease and desist THAT.

The World Cup And The SEC

You may be wondering, how does the SEC have anything to do with the World Cup? In one, they play football as we know it in America, and in the other, they play football as everyone else in the world knows it. Besides, doesn't the World Cup involve them foreign types that we ain't too fond of in the South?

Well, the college towns in the SEC had best get ready, because the World Cup may be coming a-knocking. The U.S. is making a bid to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup (the 2010 one will be in Johannesburg, South Africa--we think--and 2014 will be in Brazil). Today the U.S. released the list of stadiums that would be considered for hosting World Cup matches should the bid be successful. Look who's on the list, among others:

• Athens, Ga. (Sanford Stadium)

• Auburn, Ala. (Jordan-Hare Stadium)

• Baton Rouge, La. (Tiger Stadium)

• Columbia, S.C. (Williams-Brice Stadium)

• Fayetteville, Ark. (Reynolds Razorback Stadium)

• Gainesville, Fla. (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium)

• Knoxville, Tenn. (Neyland Stadium)

• Lexington, Ky. (Commonwealth Stadium)

• Nashville, Tenn. (LP Field)

• Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Bryant-Denny Stadium)

So the only SEC cities not on the list are Oxford and Starkville, MS. Because no one wants to go to Mississippi, not even for an American football game.

It makes sense that the bulk of the list seems to be college towns rather than major cities, with the SEC, Big 12, and Pac-10 conferences heavily represented. They're going to need the biggest stadiums for the World Cup, and the SEC certainly provides that.

So which SEC city might they consider? Obviously Nashville, since we've already hosted successful World Cup qualifiers at LP. Gainesville is another possibility given its proximity to a) airports and b) tourist attractions (although I was unaware until now that the stadium had a name other than The Swamp). Athens might work too, especially if they do other matches at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

What about the others? The friend who sent me the list didn't think that thousands of Europeans would be a good mix in Tuscaloosa, but I think Alabamians won't mind a few extra drunk rowdy fans in town. Besides, sending the Europeans to Tuscaloosa still wouldn't be as strange as, say, sending them to Norman, OK or to Provo, UT (also on the list).

Speaking of UT...Neyland Stadium could certainly handle the crowds, but would a hole rip in the space-time contiuum if fans went into Neyland and sang songs other than "Rocky Top"? Even if the other songs didn't have any words besides "O-LE, OLE OLE OLE!"?

I know that in all likelihood, the biggest World Cup matches would be held in big cities. But I hope they'll consider having at least some of the matches down in the SEC. We've got everything they need--big stadiums, cheap hotels, and enough beer to go around!

More Passover Fun

Some more fun ways to look at Passover before it starts tonight, in addition to the fact that Obama is holding a White House Seder for second night:

• The Passover Haggadah done as a Facebook feed. Best part--when God comments on Mark Zuckerberg's status, demanding that he bring back the old Facebook. Next year on Twitter!!

• Some hilarious person with WAAAAY too much time on their hands did a photo shoot using marshmallow Peeps to demonstrate the 10 Plagues. By far the best one is for the plague of frogs. Bad Kermit!

• Ten ways in which Passover is like "Lost." I don't even watch "Lost" but I still got the jokes. My favorites:

6. On Lost, the Others live on a part of the island that our heroes don't visit, lest they be caught and be killed. On Passover, the Others are the ones who attend synagogues that we wouldn't be caught dead at.

7. The Oceanic 815 survivors all have important family obligations that are being interrupted by their time on the island. People who observe Passover all have important obligations that are being interrupted by their time with their families.

8. On both the island and during Passover, even though your food intake is restricted to what's available from the Initiative, no one seems to lose any weight.

• Martha Stewart, whom I follow on Twitter, has a great recipe for toffee chocolate-chip matzoh. Naturally, if there's one person who can figure out how to take a bland piece of cardboard and spruce it up a bit, it'd be her.

To those of you celebrating tonight, have a good one! But for future reference, let's not tell Kleinheider about how we "sell the chametz" to the Metro Police in Nashville and let him continue to believe that it's a sinister Zionist plot to take over the reins of power in Nashville.

Why Is This President Different From All Other Presidents?

Because he's holding a White House Seder!

US President Barack Obama will celebrate Passover Thursday night with staff and friends in what is believed to be the first White House Seder attended by an American president.

The event was slipped onto the president's public schedule Tuesday night with little fanfare, following a letter signed by Obama earlier in the day wishing Americans who mark the day a "peaceful and relaxing holiday."

While presidential proclamations in honor of Passover have been common throughout the administrations of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, this year's Seder is believed to be the first of its kind.

This comes at a crucial time, as Obama has shown that he is more than ready to call Bibi Netanyahu and Avigdor Lieberman's bluff (and that's all it is, a bluff) on Iran and on reneging on previous peace agreements.

Watch as the talkbacks in the Jerusalem Post article devolve into a debate over whether non-Jews can participate in a Seder (to which I say, why bother debating that when you still haven't come up with a concise definition of who is a Jew yet?). But I was always taught that all may come to the Seder. Would the fundamentalists turn away the prophet Elijah if he came to the Seder in the guise of a Gentile? Besides, since Passover forms the basis for a very important piece of Christian tradition, it only makes sense that non-Jews would want to learn about the customs.

The real symbolism behind Obama holding a Seder is impossible to miss though...

Once we were slaves. Now we are free.

Glenn Beck Interviews Jesus and Death

Be sure to watch the news crawl on the bottom. That's about accurate.

Vermont Legalizes Gay Marriage

And it was because of those damn unelected activist judges going against the will of the legislature...

....oh, wait:

Vermont on Tuesday became the fourth state to legalize gay marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature's vote.

The Legislature voted to override Gov. Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for override.

A study from March indicates that legalizing gay marriage in Vermont will boost Vermont's economy by generating $30.6 million in new business activity over three years, netting an additional $3.3 million in state and local tax revenue and creating 700 new jobs. Any state could use such an easy windfall in hard economic times like these, and Vermont certainly deserves what's coming.

Now, I'm not a fan of the frame that it's less credible for the courts to decide this than the legislature. The judiciary is an equal branch of government, after all. It's the job of the courts to apply the Constitution (of either the United States or their state), even if those decisions are politically unpopular. Could de-segregation have happened when it did without the involvement of the courts? The federal government would never have even gotten involved if not for the courts.

But, there's no doubt that Vermont's decision throws a wrench into the usual right-wing talking points on the subject. Let's all raise a pint of beer Ben & Jerry's to equality! Four states down, 46 to go!

UPDATE: A statement from the Iowa Senate Majority Leader explaining why he will allow last week's court decision to stand:



And that's the biggest reason why opponents of gay marriage are on the wrong side of history. My generation simply doesn't care about the "family values" that you preach about while 50% of your marriages end in divorce.

A Beautiful Tribute

Keith Olbermann's mother, Marie Olbermann, passed away from breast cancer last weekend. It was she, a diehard Yankees fan, who instilled a love of baseball in her son and led him into working in sports media. He gave a beautiful tribute to his mother tonight, one that I felt the need to pass along:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Will Zach Wamp Have To Apologize Now?

If the grovelling apologies of other Republicans who have dared question the Dear Leader of their party are any indicator, maybe so.

On CNN yesterday, Zach Wamp was asked whether he agrees with Rush Limbaugh or with Mitt Romney on wanting Barack Obama to fail. Wamp's response:

“Frankly, we need to listen more to the people back home, and not so much just the voices out there. There’s not much difference between entertainment and journalism on some fronts.”

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“Listen, I don’t want to get in the crossfire here. But the fact is entertainers sometimes say things. We really need serious-minded policy people to help chart this ship of state out of these rocky waters right now. And so we shouldn’t spend so much time caught in what others are saying.”

So is he implying that Rush Limbaugh is just an entertainer whose not serious?

Hey, I remember another prominent Republican who said that. Will Wamp be made to backpedal and grovel for forgiveness too? Will Rush Limbaugh now come out for Ron Ramsey or Bill Haslam in the Governor's race?

Honestly, if Wamp stands by what he said, I could actually respect him a little more. But I bet we'll see some sort of "clarification" by the end of the weekend.

Feel Good Friday--New York Edition

UPDATE: While trying to explain to someone else what Tasti D-Lite is, I went on their website to discover that not only have they moved their corporate HQ to Franklin, but they're apparently going to open a Tasti on West End Avenue soon. I'm assuming that this is due to the influx of New York girls at Vanderbilt who couldn't bear to leave their artificial frozen desserts behind. The day the Nashville Tasti D-Lite opens, I'm going to Bobbie's Dairy Dip in protest.

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My friend sent me this video yesterday. I LOL'ed because I had to spend four years with these people. You can't really understand the New York mentality until you've spent time with the natives.

And the one good thing about not being up there anymore? I no longer have to pretend that I like Tasti D-Lite like the rest of the sorority (as mentioned in the song). I no longer have to accompany anyone to get Tasti while dreaming about Insomnia Cookies down the block.

I Have Found My Dream Job

Forget all the other legal fields--criminal, corporate, intellectual property, tax, bankruptcy, whatever--I now know what I want to do with my life:

Drop-Kick your old job!

World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. has an exciting opportunity for a Legal Superstar to be the primary attorney responsible for negotiating and drafting agreements and documents and providing advice in the areas of talent relations, creative writing, television production, music and TV clip licensing, and live events. This attorney will supervise a paralegal responsible for assisting with the matters identified above.

You want me to write you a memo? Here's a memo for you!

(Grabs metal folding chair)

Seriously though, I would be interested in studying the liability issues involved with a company having its employees jump off of ladders, tables, and steel cages to land in one specific spot. And how many times they had to redo Shawn Michaels' contract for all of his comings and goings.

Why The DOJ Had To Drop The Ted Stevens Case

Everyone is surprised today over how, despite being convicted on seven counts of failing to report millions of dollars worth of gifts by a jury of his peers, former Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens will likely walk as the Department of Justice has decided to drop the charges.

But if this is true, then dropping the case was probably the best thing Attorney General Eric Holder could have done. In fact, he didn't really have much of a choice:

Holder began his career in the Public Integrity Section; and, according to sources, he was horrified by the failure of prosecutors to turn over all relevant materials to the defense.

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Holder respects Judge Sullivan and reportedly has watched with growing alarm as the judge repeatedly has scolded prosecutors for failing to follow his judicial orders to fully inform defense lawyers about everything from potentially favorable evidence to the travel plans of witnesses. During the trial, prosecutors' missteps led the judge to instruct the jury to disregard some evidence.

Sentencing has been repeatedly delayed. By last month, it was playing a back seat to charges of prosecutorial misconduct —as a whistle-blowing FBI agent made complaints about improper conduct by a fellow agent and prosecutors. With a hearing scheduled in two weeks to explore those charges, Holder decided to review the case himself.

It doesn't matter how guilty someone is, you can't withhold evidence from the defense. If it were shown that the prosecution did in fact withhold evidence, then the entire case would have been thrown out. Holder must have found something pretty damning in the records, and came to the conclusion that walking away and saving the DOJ a little bit of face rather than waiting for the case to be thrown out anyway.

Yeah, I'm mad as everyone else that Ted Stevens will get to walk now. But you can thank the Bush DOJ for botching the prosecution, and in the meantime, we can at least take comfort in knowing that Eric Holder and the Obama DOJ are committed to upholding the rule of law, no matter what.

TNDP Makes April Fool's Funny, Hits On Larger Issue

In a demonstration of how confusing all of our different gun legislation in Tennessee is getting, it actually took me several minutes to realize that this press release from the TNDP was a joke, even knowing today's date:

The Tennessee Democratic Party today gave its full support to pending legislation that would allow citizens to carry their guns into the voting booth.

The Senate bill, SB 357, would remove the requirement that guns be left outside the voting booth.

“For too long, law-abiding Tennesseans have suffered the inconvenience of leaving their guns outside the polling place,” says Forrester. “Now however, it has gone beyond inconvenience. With the Republicans removing fair-minded Election Coordinators across the state for partisan reasons, Democrats need to be able to carry their guns to protect their voting rights.”

Honestly, I'm surprised no one in the legislature has proposed this yet.

Now, predictably, the Troll Patrol showed up right on schedule to whine about how politics should be Dour and Serious and how laughing at yourself is a sign of weakness. But that's not what I want to talk about.

It's a question I've been wondering lately--what if more liberals and Democrats carried? I'm not talking about into bars or voting booths, just in general.

My first brush with this issue came the morning of my Bat Mitzvah, in an incident that has since become Gold family lore. My parents had charted three buses to take the relatives from the Opryland Hotel (the only hotel in town big enough to hold the whole family) to The Temple. Two buses came on time, but the third one didn't show up. The rabbi kept saying that we had to start the service and my mother was throwing a hissy fit since it was most of her family that was missing (and I was just sitting there trying not to throw up out of nervousness). When the third bus finally showed up 45 minutes late, we discovered it was because the driver had been drunk and taken everyone for a joyride around Belle Meade. They finally got him to stop when one of the New York cousins went up to him and let it be known that he was carrying concealed. They had to get someone in one of the Harding Road gas stations to lead them back to the Temple. I had my Bat Mitzvah and no one died.

My only other real experience with the issue came from shooting .22 rifles at my summer camp's shooting range. I found it to be oddly stress-relieving, and I do wonder what that says about me.

I digress, but that's why I've never been exactly anti-gun. As far as I'm concerned, gun control is a moot issue at this point.

More recently, a gay friend of mine (who's so far to the left on everything else it makes me look Republican) told me about a group called Pink Pistols, which encourages LGBT individuals to get licensed and carry, under the slogan "Armed gays don't get bashed." I admit I never thought about it that way. Although I think education and awareness are probably more constructive and productive ways to address gay-bashing, the truth is that there will always be drunk rednecks out there who are such pussies that they'll only pick on someone they perceive as weaker. Letting it be known that gays are going armed might go a long way towards getting rid of that "weaker" perception. However, I have little doubt that someone on the Religious Right would scream "Discrimination!" if an LGBT individual ever did have to (God forbid) defend themselves with a gun.

But I wonder if it's something that all progressives, regardless of sexual orientation or other factors, have to worry about. The violent rhetoric from the right about rising up and overthrowing the government is growing. Republican leaders are actively calling for a "revolution". Militia activity has been on the rise in the last few years, and is expected to increase with Obama's presidency.

And while you'd rather think of people like Jim Adkisson shooting up a Unitarian church in Knoxville as an evil aberration, you do have to wonder how many others like him are out there, whose minds have been so poisoned by the violent right-wing rhetoric that they could snap at any moment, and look to take out those whom, again, they perceive as "weaker".

This isn't going to stop anytime soon, and I'm of the opinion that we need to be prepared. I'm not saying all liberals need to (or should) carry, nor am I saying that anyone should rely on weapons at the expense of reaching out to others through dialogue and eudcation. But it's a civil liberties issue, as far as I'm concerned--if the Bill O'Reillys and Glenn Becks and Michelle Malkins of the country have the right to spread violent rhetoric, then those of us at whom the rhetoric is aimed have the right to defend ourselves. We cannot be caught off-guard again.

Although I will say that I'm still not entirely comfortable with the idea of your average Cornell frat boy going armed into Johnny O's on a Friday night.