Billy Mays The Embodiment of Free Enterprise?

RedState.com has an interesting take on the death of Billy Mays, the late-night infomercial guru best known for OxyClean:

Billy Mays started out hawking a washer-in-a-bucket on the Atlantic City boardwalk. He was a shameless pitchman, became an entrepreneur and a capitalist, and died a multimillionaire… all on the back of his skill as a salesman. Is there anything more quintessentially capitalist than that? Does anyone’s life better represent the promise of free enterprise? Does Billy Mays not belong in the American Dream Hall of Fame?

That's all well and good, but Billy Mays is not any different than any of the hundreds or thousands of other successful celebrities. He was an actor. He had an ability to connect with his audience and get them to buy the story he was selling. Same as when Billy Bob Thorton gets on screen to try and sell his character. Perhaps Mays picked some good scripts (products) to try and sell, but that doesn't really change what he did.

So, for Conservatives who complain about the adulation given to "Hollywood" celebrities, just realize, that Mays' story is not really any different. The vast majority of actors and musicians started with little or nothing and struggled to make it big, for every one of them that made it there are 1,000 more who did not.

State Sovereignty!

OK, so it appears that the Minnesota State Courts have ruled unanimously up and down the board that Al Franken is the lawful winner of the US Senate elections. Will all this talk by Conservatives about the States reasserting their roles as sovereign bodies stay true? Or will they abandon their neo-confederate rhetoric and push for Pawlenty to hold off on signing Franken's election certificate in the hopes that Coleman can drag this election out in the Federal courts?'

Update:

Coleman concedes, Franken to be seated.

The Tea Party Revolution in America

Couldn't you easily have done the same thing in regards to the Tea Bagger protests a few months ago, as these people are doing with the Iranian protests?



Yes, there are protests in most major provinces in Iran. At the risk of being accused of moral equivalency, you could say the same thing in the run-up to the war in Iraq, after the [s]election of Bush in 2000, or his election in 2004.

There are reform elements in all of Iran. Even if Ahmadenijad legitimately won a province of 1 million voters by 80%, that still leaves 200,000 potential protesters to show their disdain for the official results.

I really hope these protests can result in some moderate reforms in Iran, I doubt they will, but I hope they do...but lets not delude ourselves into this notion that somehow there is a mass movement nationwide to radically change the status quo in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The vast majority of Iranians support the clerical system to some extent, and there isn't some overwhelming desire outside certain elements in Tehran to liberalize the country. For Islamic countries in that region, they are already more culturally liberal than say in Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan.

There is still no real evidence beyond some statistical analysis that Mousavi won the election a few weeks ago. "But high turnout should mean the reform candidate wins!" Yeah, I remember hearing that high turnout would be the key to Kerry's victory...guess what, 2004 was the highest turnout election up to that point, and afterward Bush had more popular votes than any candidate in history (up to that point).

I'm just rather concerned that the drumbeat in the press and the blind acceptance of this idea of a popular uprising in Iran is going to lead to a foreign policy that ultimately harms our national interest in the long run. You've already got neo-cons like Joe Lieberman and others itching for a battle royale in Persia, and these protests (whose numbers represent a small fraction of the overall Iranian public) are helping shape the debate in their favor.

NY Times Concerned About Liberalized Firearm Laws

The NYTimes looks at the efforts of Tennessee and other states to liberalize their carry permit laws to allow holders the ability to take their weapon wherever they so choose:

Once again, politicians caved to the gun lobby’s “right to carry” agenda which insists that there is no place — campuses, workplaces, churches — that should be off limits to guns.

We fear that Gov. Phil Bredesen, a gun owner and hunter, was right when he warned his state: “It’s an invitation to a disaster.”

The governor found no safety in provisions that ban the licensed gun toters from drinking alcohol — is it the honor system or will bartenders do a search? — and allow bar and restaurant owners to opt out by posting a notice prohibiting guns. Unfortunately, there is no requirement for owners to post warnings of the dangers inside at the doorways of gun-friendly places.

Of course, one could argue (rightfully so) that if a person is willing to ignore the restrictions on drinking while carrying, they probably would have no problem ignoring previous restrictions against carrying their weapons to a bar in the first place.

As for the "dangers inside" of restaurants and bars from carry-permit holders, is there any real evidence that there is a threat or danger? I'm not really sure you could even find much anecdotal evidence, let alone statistical proof, of gun holders who followed the law up to the letter up until the moment they shot or killed an innocent victim.

Bait and Switch

Some journalists working in concert together seem to think that Sen. Roy Herron pushed for the passage of a law to ensure that paper ballots are used in the 2010 in order to make up for his missteps on the EFCA vote:

On the score of blogger effectiveness, just ask Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Roy Herron, a Democratic state senator whose dissembling and back-and-forthing on a legislative resolution opposing the federal Employee Free Choice Act was exposed by several attentive bloggers acting in concert. Maybe it was this embarrassment that prompted Herron to redeem himself with progressives by salvaging an endangered paper-ballot initiative. D'ya think?

Mayhaps so, if that is the case, its good to see Sen. Herron gives a flip about the liberal base of the party.

Personally, I'm probably one of the 5 liberals in the state that isn't so hot about scrapping millions of dollars worth of voting equipment in favor of technology similar to that which was used in the Iranian election...but you can't win 'em all.

Cammack About To Get Chipped

It looks like Jeff Woods and his famous "political insiders" are setting their sights on Ward Cammack, the Republican turned Democrat running for Governor, in an effort to pave the way for Mike McWherter's nomination.

Pith's smug anonymous insiders just won't shut up about Ward Cammack. When last we heard from our hero, you will recall, he was denying reports---well, one report anyway--that his campaign is dragging ass. Now, here's the latest: When Cammack has made fund-raising calls, several prominent Nashville Democrats have told him that they could not support him as long as he belongs to the Belle Meade Country Club. You didn't know he's a member? Well, now you do.

Cammack responded by saying that he's not going to drop his membership to the club. I say kudos to him. First off, if it was wrong to join the club 5 years ago, it'd still be wrong even if he now dropped his membership. Second, Woods' consternation over a painting of Robert E. Lee might raise my hackles more if it weren't for the fact that sitting outside the State House Chambers is a bust of the murderous scoundrel Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Senate Invokes Cloture on Koh

Harold Koh, the eminently qualified legal expert picked to advise the State Department, has gotten one step closer to being nominated as the Senate invoked cloture on the debate over his nomination. Sen. Alexander was one of eight Republicans to vote with Democrats on invoking cloture over a nominee who has been embattled over his belief that the United States should pay attention to international law.

In Case You Missed It.

The Obama Press Conference:

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

What The Hell Man?

Well, if Governor Mark Sanford had any thoughts of taking his schtick national, I think this episode might put a damper on those plans:

Gov. Mark Sanford arrived in the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport this morning, having wrapped up a seven-day visit to Buenos Aires, Argentina, he said. Sanford said he had not been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, as his staff said in a Tuesday statement to the media...

...The governor said he cut his trip short after his chief of staff, Scott English, told him his trip was gaining a lot of media attention and he needed to come back.

When asked why his staff said he was on the Appalachian Trail, Sanford replied, "I don't know."

So his staff just lied and made some stuff up about him going hiking? And did he really talk to his Chief of Staff, or did he catch something on CNN while in Argentina that made him think twice about his disappearing act?

Seriously, I get the allure of dropping everything and going to Argentina, if I had the money, I'd do the same...but I'd at least tell my bosses I was leaving and where I was going, and I'd certainly tell at least a few friend and family about my plans.

This little episode makes John McCain look downright stable.

(h/t ACK)

Then Its Not An Addiction

President Obama, in his effort to both maintain his habit and pretend as if its evil, seems to be comparing the occasional sneaking of a cigarette to when an alcoholic "struggles" with their addiction.

The problem here is that if you are an alcoholic that occasionally has a beer every now and again, then you AREN'T AN ALCOHOLIC! Congrats, you can control your shit. You are just a person who likes to drink and might have taken it overboard at some point in your life [see also: 50% of the college grads in America].

Likewise, if Obama "falls of the wagon" and chain smokes a pack of camels, well then maybe he has a problem...if he likes smoking and occasionally has a cigarette, then his problem is not nicotine addiction, but rather his problem is the political and social stigma of smoking.

Word of advice, just switch to cigars, they contain copious amounts of nicotine and are socially acceptable for politicians to use.

Cooper's Health Care Reform Tap-Dance

Does he or doesn't he? Does Congressman Jim Cooper support a "public option" as he stated in a meeting at the TNDP headquarters? Or does he prefer to have that left on the table as he seemed to state back at the blogger meeting a few months ago, and now more tacitly by his support for the Daschle/Dole health care reform package?

It seems like Rep. Cooper is torn. He wants to be seen as supporting (and helping to drive) the President's health care agenda, but at the same time, he genuinely doesn't think that a health care package with a "public option" will be able to pass the Senate in a way that makes for quality public policy.

Who is right? Not quite sure. All I know is that its quite ridiculous that we are bending over backwards to alter a public health care policy that will ultimately garner a handful of GOP votes at best. They aren't going to support any health care plan (that manages to get broad Democratic support) because they ultimately feel it is necessary to demonize it as big government socialism, or else the Democrats win the day by doing what the Americans want...fixing our broken health care system.

The key for Dems is to put together the best plan from a policy standpoint, and then sell the shit out of it to Americans (polls indicate they are open to a public option). All we need are 2 or 3 Republicans in the Senate to switch our way, and we're in business.

Cammack On The Ropes?

Jeff Woods ponders the significance of Mark Brown's departure from the Cammack for Governor campaign and comes up with the following:

The word in Democratic circles is this: Cammack is toast. His fund-raising is really sucking, and there is talk that he will quit the race soon. Recall Cammack gave heavily to Republicans in the past. That's causing Democratic contributors to give him the stink eye. If Cammack can't raise a respectable amount from contributors, there's no point in sinking his own personal wealth into his campaign.

"Basically, he has no base of support," one source says. "He turned on his old Republican friends, and Democrats don't know him enough to trust him. He doesn't have the time before the primary to build a relationship with Democrats. He won't have the money to get his message out."

Cammack had an uphill battle from the git-go. No name recognition, no campaign history, no real connection to the type of people who typically vote in Democratic primaries. He's got ambition and a rather impressive knowledge of policy, but that could be where his strengths end.

Of course, if I were him, and was about to drop out, I'd probably start canceling upcoming events...like the Davidson County Democratic Party potluck over at the CWA Union Hall tonight. It doesn't sound like the type of thing Ward would normally do for kicks.

But, assuming Woods' source is correct...where would Cammack's departure leave the race? My feeling is that Kim McMillan has been the most steady of all the other candidates. No major screw-ups are stumbles (like pissing off major Democratic constituencies). She's got a track record, she's got as much or more name recognition as anyone else in the hunt (except Ned Ray's son), the main question for her is going to be dolla dolla bills ya'll. Does she have 'em, and can she get 'em?

Mark your calendars for July 15th, 2009. That will be the day when we really get a good peak into the races on both sides of the aisle. That is when the mid-annual reports are due for candidates running for office, and we can see how much the prospective candidates have raised and spent over the past 6 (or 1 in some cases) months.

Governor Bullworth?

Wouldn't be awesome if Gov. Sanford turned up in the ghetto with a new black girlfriend?

Neither the governor’s office nor the State Law Enforcement Division, which provides security for governors, has been able to reach Sanford after he left the mansion in a black SLED Suburban SUV, said Sen. Jake Knotts and three others familiar with the situation but who declined to be identified.

Sanford’s last known whereabouts were near Atlanta, where a mobile telephone tower picked up a signal from his phone, authorities said.

First lady Jenny Sanford told The Associated Press today her husband has been gone for several days and she doesn't know where he is.

The governor’s personal and state phones have been turned off and he has not responded to phone and text message since Thursday, a source said.

Jenny Sanford said she was not concerned.

I guess I should put in the caveat that "I hope he's alright," but given the lack of concern on his wife's part, this story remains pretty funny, and perhaps evidence that the hero of the GOP is just as nutty as his base.

Cammack Loses Top Adviser

Details are sketchy to non-existent right now, but it appears that Ward Cammack's campaign will go on without his main lifeline into the Democratic party he's trying to get to nominate him...

Democratic strategist Mark Brown is leaving the gubernatorial campaign of Nashville businessman Ward Cammack.

Brown declined to give specific reasons for his departure Monday other than to say: "It was time to move my career in another direction."

Fundraising Reports

The TNDP and TNGOP Federal fundraising reports are out and it shows a COH advantage for the Dems of about 78K. The TNDP ended the month of May with about $75K in the bank, while the TNGOP ended the month with a negative balance of -$3,144.

Of course, there is a big caveat to these numbers, in that we won't know how much each party has in their non-federal state account for a couple of weeks when the mid-annual reports are due to the TNREF. The TNGOP has been keeping their Federal Account afloat by transferring funds from their State to their Federal, whereas the TNDP seems to be keeping them separate, which could indicate a healthier non-federal account on the part of the TNGOP, compared to that of the Dems.

The Cohen Vulnerability

Did you hear that Steve Cohen was going to be the underdog in his re-election bid? Yeah, that's right, the people of Tennessee's 9th congressional district are a bunch of racist rubes who will vote for anyone other than Rep. Cohen so long as they have dark skin.

Now, you may be confused to hear this because Rep. Cohen has already had African-American challengers, both as Independent candidates and a primary challenger last year, and yet, somehow, the people of the 9th Congressional district managed to forget that Cohen is a White Jew on election day, and send him back to Congress. In fact, according to the only objective data we've seen on this race, the people of the 9th district have apparently forgotten that their Mayor, Willie Herenton, is black, because they currently are still supporting incumbent Steve Cohen by rather large margins:

In a race between Congressman Steve Cohen and Mayor Willie Herenton, who would you vote for for Congress?

1. Steve Cohen - 65%
2. Herenton - 14%
3. Undecided - 20%

How would you rate Congressman Steve Cohen's job performance?

84% said excellent or good.

So, despite the fact that they think he's doing a great job. Despite the fact that he managed to pass through Congress an official apology for slavery, something no other Congressman (black or white) had been able to do. Despite the fact that he serves his district ably in getting money for local projects. Despite these facts, we are to believe that the people of Memphis are all of a sudden going to give in to craven racist appeals?

How about this. How about this tactic has failed in the past, and will fail again. How about the people of the 9th district just watched a Black man (whose race represents about 15% of America) get elected President by a melting pot of supporters, the plurality of which were white people. How about the fact that many of the African-Americans in Memphis would be insulted by appeals to the lowest common denominator of race as a reason to vote out a Congressman they think is doing a great job at representing them. How about the people of Memphis have had decades to see Rep. Cohen at work through his job in the State Senate and Congress, and feel that while his pigment and place of worship may not be in line with theirs, at the end of the day, he truly cares about his constituents and is dedicating his life to making their lives better. Hows about the media and those over-hyped "political scientists" wait for a shred of objective evidence indicating Rep. Cohen is in trouble before succumbing to the view that all of the black people in Memphis are mindless racists..lets try it and see if it works.

What Goes Around Comes Around

I've tried to refrain from getting into this whole Legislative Staffer email kerfuffle for the main reason that I think its kinda BS to scapegoat some middle-aged staffer for forwarding an email when there are plenty sitting legislators who say some fairly repugnant shit about ethnic or minority groups both in private and on the House/Senate floors.

But this is too good. Now it appears that a Memphis Nashville Conservative, Blue Collar Muse, has busted the Democrats for passing around offensive emails just as did a Republican staffer who passed around an "inappropriate" depiction of the Presidential portraits.

The "democrat" in question appears to be an intern, Blake Graves, who was recently honored by a house resolution citing him as being the "best dressed intern" and recognizing his numerous accomplishments, including "dedicat[ing] his singular skills to several student and civic organizations, including the Student Activities Council, the College Republicans, and volunteering for Hands on Memphis and Volunteer Memphis".

Yes, as an intern he was assigned to a Democrat, but it appears that his allegiances lie elsewhere.

Regardless, this whole thing is rather silly. Neither should be fired, as for Goforth, the GOP staffer, the woman has been publicly humiliated on an international stage...a pretty brutal public shaming is punishment enough for what was never intended to be a malicious act, but an act of poor taste.

Update:

It appears that the Republican Speaker has sacked this Republican intern for forwarding these rather tame pics. Its too bad really.

Update II:

After reading the guy's Facebook page, it appears he may have converted to the left side of the aisle for personal reasons. Regardless of whether he was a Democrat, Republican, Independent, or whatever, people need to lighten up a little bit.

Digging the Hole Deeper

It appears that while Obama's popularity is remaining high with the population at large, his tone-deaf reaction to the GLBT community is costing him some support (financial and otherwise) until his administration gets around to fulfilling campaign promises.

However, one group that should not be piling on is Democrats in Congress like Anthony Weiner who said:

President Obama’s decision displays the administration’s commitment to ensuring that certain basic rights and privileges are extended to all Americans.

While encouraging, this measure only grants same-sex couples benefits that have been provided by corporations for years and fails to reverse the administration's troubling refusal to fully recognize same-sex couples under the law and to allow lesbian gay bisexual trangender Americans to serve openly in the military.

The problem here is that its not up to the President to simply pick and choose whether or not gay couples can receive full domestic partnership benefits or allow gays to serve openly in the military, its up to the Congress, its up to Rep. Anthony Weiner, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the rest of the lot.

The President can't write an executive order or presidential memorandum which dictates that the Federal Government ignore statutes in the US Code put in place with the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" and "Defense of Marriage Act" bills passed by Congress and signed by then President Clinton. They need to be repealed or amended by the legislative branch.

Should the President be doing more to get these bills passed? Perhaps, but since when does Congress need Presidential authorization to move forward legislation? I remember a two-year period where the Democrats controlled the Congress and a Republican controlled the White House...I don't recall Speaker Pelosi asking permission from the President to pass bills such as an increase in the minimum wage.

So, the President can and should do more (including instructing Eric Holder to have his lawyers be a bit more cautious in their language regarding GLBT issues), but no Congressman should be complaining about the President's lack of actions when its entirely up to them to change the laws they created.

The Ins and Outs of Engaging the Blogosphere

Adam Kleinheider, in his City Paper column, looks at the situation involving Sen. Roy Herron and sees it as a sign of the power of "new media" in politics (as well as some tell-tale examples of what not to do when engaging bloggers).

Republicans Against Abstinence Only

Well, at least when it comes to tobacco.

Rep. Buyer in Indiana took to the House floor to condemn Democratic efforts to regulate out of existence new forms of tobacco products that could potentially be safer than your traditional variety.



While his presentation was crude and he exhibited quite the flair for the dramatic, I happen to agree largely with what this Republican from Indiana said. Yes, ingestion of tobacco will never be good for your health, but you can lessen the risks associated with its consumption. Adults (and even teenagers for that matter) should be treated with respect by the Government and given facts, not hyperbolic fear campaigns. The fact is few who smoke actually end up really quitting (see: POTUS) because, shock, people like nicotine. It feels good, and many people become used to the sensation associated with it. So, if they can get that thing which they crave, without the fear of lung cancer and emphysema, but with a slightly increased risk of oral cancer (a lot less with snus and dissolvable tobacco), than from a numbers perspective, shouldn't the Federal Government be open about that being an option?

Yes, just as abstaining from sex is safer than having it, not ingesting tobacco products is safer than consuming them. But we are a pleasure seeking species and if we were put health above all else we'd be eating a human form of Kibbles and Bits everyday while only drinking water, but that ain't how we roll.

The Democrats should not fall into the same mindset regarding tobacco that Republicans have towards sex. We should be basing our policies on empirical data and not trumped up fears.

The Fightin' 58

The Nashville City Paper's Nate Rau profiles Steve Turner, candidate for House District 58 currently held by Mary Pruitt.

Although he admits his lack of name recognition will be working against him, Turner will have his share of momentum heading into next year’s election. He was voted one of the NAACP’s top 45 under 45 last year.

Just last month, Turner was named the Davidson County Young Democrats’ Rising Star. He beat out the likes of prominent Nashvillians including Metro Council members Lonnell Matthews Jr. and Erica Gilmore, Mayor Karl Dean’s Office of Neighborhoods and Community Outreach Director Brady Banks and Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis attorney Juan Choi.

“He was tireless in his effort to register new voters, which was very impressive,” said progressive activist Mary Mancini, co-host of the Liberadio podcast and radio show. “He understood the importance of getting people registered and then actually turning them out to vote.

The Iranian Delusuion

In just a few days the Iranian people will go to the polls to vote for their favored candidate for President of their Islamic Republic, in all likelihood this initial election will result in a runoff between current President Ahmadenijad and his main rival Mir Hussein Moussavi.

From an American perspective, it seems we are in an "Anybody But Ahmadenijad" footing. The election of a potential "reformer" and relative moderate could give the Obama administration the cover to reinstitute diplomatic relations with Iran, and it might reduce fears that Iran is attempting to build Nuclear weapons (despite the Supreme Ruler -the guy who has final say in most matters- stating that Nukes were against the tenets of Islam and immoral).

But I'd caution the press and others to read too much into recent protests in Tehran and the mood of the people in the street. I know we like to pride ourselves on thinking we are different than every other country on Earth, but if you look at demographics and political ideologies in various countries, you begin to see trends. For starters, often times the biggest cities are the most "liberal". Now, "liberal" can mean different things to different people, but it generally means a more secularized version of the country, more educated, more "multi-cultural," more youthful, etc...so when we think of this election, try to think about what things were like for us in 2004.

In major cities like LA, New York, Washington DC, Miami, etc...you had to really search high and low to find some Bush supporters. There were protests, there were people sporting Kerry shirts in the streets, you had long lines at polling places indicating a good night for the Senator from Massachusetts. But, alas, it wasn't meant to be. Because President Bush was Conservative, and often times conservatives live in suburbs and rural areas where its more difficult for the media and especially international observers to get a read on the mood.

Likewise, in Iran, we'd make a mistake to read too much into the actions on the streets of Tehran as indicative of countrywide support. Of course, its possible that the polls are wrong and Moussavi has a good shot at winning (I certainly hope so), but in order to do it he is going to need a lot more than the youth concentrated in urban areas to get him to the finish line.

We also shouldn't assume that if Ahmadenijad does pull it out and gets re-elected, that it was automatically the work of some sort of "fraud". While not a democracy by our standards, Iran nonetheless is allowing the people of the country to decide their standard bearer for the world. If they choose "Mad Mahmoud," we should attempt to find a way to work with him if at all possible, because I don't think we can afford four more years of our current posture.

In Case You Were Wondering...

Rep. Steve Cohen does indeed have an opinion on the recent (like, an hour ago) shooting at the Holocaust Museum in DC.

“This event is a terrible reminder of the cruelty and injustice that still exists in the hearts of many. A despicable act of violence has occurred at a place dedicated to peace and remembrance, and in a building that is synonymous with respect. My heart and prayers go out the family of the brave security guard that has been wounded and has put his life on the line to protect all those who were inside the Museum.

“I was scheduled to attend a play tonight at the Museum about the effects of bigotry and anti-Semitism. The Museum is a living memorial to the victims of crimes against humanity. While this crime occurred in the nation’s capital, we are reminded that there are still those who seek to use fear and hate to change the world. Just this weekend, in my hometown of Memphis, a church was vandalized and desecrated by hate speech that made references to the KKK.

“As we move forward from today’s events, let us commit ourselves to fighting fear with hope and ignorance with education.”

It appears the shooter was a write of a sort, and talked about his failed crusade (and subsequent imprisonment) to "arrest" the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Most of his rantings seem rather in line with the Ron Paul philosophy.

Maybe The GOP Would Be More Trustworthy If They Took a Math Course

The Republicans are so incredulous that President Obama would have the temerity to re-institute PAYGO rules that they feel compelled to point out the recent debt accumulation:

"We've amassed more debt over the last five months than this country has amassed in the last 200 years. This Congress rammed through a $3.6 trillion budget. So for us to sit here and listen to the White House say that 'we ought to be responsible, we ought to pay for what we're doing' I think lacks just a little bit of credibility," said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican.

Interesting indeed, considering that the US Treasury lists the debt held by the public as having increased by less than a trillion dollars (about $770 bn) in the past 6 months, bringing the total to 11.39 trillion compared to 10.63 trillion on January 19, 2009. And even if all $3.6 trillion of that budget were paid for with debt (which its not), that still wouldn't reach the $4.9 trillion in debt accumulated during the Bush regime.

No doubt, the deficit is and will continue to be a problem under the Obama administration, and I'd agree that simply calling for PAYGO is not enough. At some point, cuts in programs or a re-evaluation of our "tax cuts for everybody except a couple percent" political culture will have to start changing.

Hypocrite of the Day Award

Goes to...drumroll please...Lamar Alexander! For being a grandstanding jackass through and through with regards to the GM bailout by the Federal Government. Not only does he think the Federal Government should require GM to create hundreds of millions of shares to be equally distributed to American "taxpayers," but he also condemns Congressman Barny Frank for doing the same damn thing he intends to do with regards to Spring Hill.

Update:

At least he is aware of his hypocrisy, even if his latest venture into the issue of the GM bailout further calls into question his mental stability.

Update II:

Luckily, Rep. Michelle Bachmann upstages the good Senator in terms of crass politicizing and rank hypocrisy.

Guns, Coming To A Handful Of Restaurants Near You

Despite the consensus among many Nashvillians that they'd rather not drink next to someone packing heat, the Metro Council will be unable to pass an ordinance prohibiting licensed beer retailers from allowing weapons into their establishment.

Metro lawyers have determined that the state's firearms statute pre-empts the city beer permit ordinance, which a group of council members had hoped to revise, Councilman Carter Todd said.

"It would have been a nice thing to do, but it didn't work out," Todd said.

According to Tygard, the surprising sponsor of the bill, the downside of having signs posted all over the city is that tourists will think we are more dangerous than we actually are. Of course, Hard Rock Cafe posts signs warning against patrons bringing in nuclear weapons, and I don't think their business has tapered off because of it...

The Politics of EFCA

Yesterday I had reported that Sen. Roy Herron, Democratic Caucus leader and Gubernatorial candidate, had voted in favor of a Republican sponsored resolution urging the Congress and President to oppose the Employee Free Choice Act which would allow for pledge cards to be signed in the unionization process.

Sen. Herron spoke with me this morning to clarify the record on where he stands. According to the Senator, he has been focused on issues such as unemployment insurance and job creation, and did not fully investigate the matter of EFCA. On June 2nd, he voted in committee to approve the non-binding resolution, after which he spoke with friends from labor and his caucus who convinced him that he should probably oppose the measure in the full Senate. Apparently, when the vote came up, he was distracted with another conversation, and voted the wrong way...once the official recorded vote comes out it should reflect his new found opposition to the resolution.

Sen. Herron freely admitted that he still is not fully informed on the issue of the Employee Free Choice Act, and hopes to investigate the matter in the future to have a better understanding of it.

Update:

Point of clarification, I was a bit groggy this morning and misinterpreted what Sen. Herron said...if you are wondering why the Senate record does not list Sen. Herron's "Nay" vote, it is because he had the Clerk adjust his record to not having voted (apparently along with a few other Senators), rather than an Aye, Nay, or PNV.

Alexander Panders to Rightwing Radio

Sen. Lamar Alexander has taken a vacation from reality with his recent obsession with the Government stake in General Motors, and his silly plan to create and distribute 120 million+ shares to American "taxpayers". Via Kleinheider:

“Today’s ‘Car Czar’ award goes to Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts for interfering in the operation of General Motors,” Alexander said. “Congressman Frank is Chairman of the Financial Services Committee of the House of Representatives. One might call it the ‘House Bailout Committee.’ Congressman Frank’s phone call to General Motors always is likely to be returned since the U.S. Treasury recently purchased 60 percent of GM and 8 percent of Chrysler with $62 billion of your tax dollars.”

Alexander referenced a June 5th article from the Wall Street Journal that drew attention to a call Congressman Frank made to General Motors (GM) President and CEO Fritz Henderson “to save a GM distribution center in Norton, Mass.” The full article can be found here.

Of course, the rub here is that Congress-critters call leaders in the business community all the time to make the case for why they should keep certain plants or facilities open, Frank's "interference" is nothing new in this regard, and my guess is that the Chairman of GM would be likely to take the call from a highly influential member of Congress regardless of whether or not the US Government owned a stake in their company.

On a similar note, ACK in his City Paper column considers the type of shareholder that President Obama will be, and wonders whether or not he'll make decisions about plant closings based on that district's voting habits. My personal feeling is that Obama and Co. are smart enough to know that if news that they were exerting political pressure on GM to make decisions based on electoral map, it would cause serious harm to his Presidency and a likely steep drop in the poll numbers.

The President will most likely keep as much distance between himself and GM as possible. They've thrown the company a lifeline because the the extraordinary circumstances and the potential for catastrophic failure in the auto industry, not just with GM but the hundreds of thousands of other employees and businesses whose fortunes would be hampered by a GM bust.

Unions Lose Sway In Democratic Politics in Tennessee...

...or at least, so hopes Sen. Roy Herron who voted in favor of a resolution which calls on the Tennessee delegation to oppose efforts to pass the Employee Free Choice Act which would allow for "card check" for employees trying to unionize at their company. Sen. Jim Kyle, another Gubernatorial candidate, voted against the Republican sponsored measure.

While unionization in Tennessee and the South is far less prevalent than our neighbors in the north (both for cultural reasons and the "right to work" laws), the Democratic party in Tennessee still has quite a bit of ties to labor groups, and it makes one scratch their head as to why a contender for the Democratic nomination would unnecessarily piss off labor on a non-binding resolution such as this?

Update:

Via Kathy Chambers, "Contrary to some reports, Sen. Roy Herron (D-Dresden) did not support the resolution opposing The Employee Free Choice Act.

Shortly before the vote, another senator began talking with Sen. Herron about different legislation. When the vote was suddenly called, Herron mistakenly pushed the 'Aye' button, and before he could push the 'No' button, the voting machine was locked. He immediately went to the Clerk to correct his vote. The official record will reflect that he did NOT vote for the resolution."

Not sure that explains his vote "AYE" in the Finance, Ways and Means committee on 6/2...but there ya have it.

Update II:

New information via conversation with Sen. Herron.

Cooper Supports Public Option?

Apparently, the dynamics of the health care have changed quite a bit in the past couple months, because whereas before the "public option" was a deal killer that would make it a partisan bill which would hamper the success of any health care reform legislation. Now, it appears that Rep. Cooper thinks we should support a public option, and that he supports Sen. Schumer's plan that has no "trigger" in it, which makes the plan go into effect only if private insurance companies aren't meeting the needs of the public.



Whether his change of heart is due to the pressure put on him by Change To Win, the SEIU backed group pushing for health care reform, or the President's office...I'm glad that Rep. Cooper is embracing the more progressive avenues towards health care reform. The notion that just because Republicans won't support a public option, means it won't work, doesn't really hold water. After all, Republicans as a whole hate welfare, but when one is hard on his or her luck, they generally have to problems taking that Government check. Likewise, if the public health insurance plan is cheaper and better than a private plan, I doubt their ideological scruples will get in the way of them buying into the plan.

Bringing New Meaning to Candy Cigarettes

Oh, RJ Reynolds, what will you think of next? The makers of the best cigarettes on the market, Camels, have come out with unique and fun ways to get your daily nicotine fix:

The dissolvable products -- a pellet (Camel Orbs), a twisted stick the size of a toothpick (Camel Sticks), and a film strip for the tongue (Camel Strips), are made from finely ground flavored tobacco. The products melt in the mouth within three to 30 minutes. RJR said the Strips melt fastest, the toothpick-like Sticks dissolve in about 10 minutes, and the pellet-size Orbs last the longest.

The nicotine delivery of the products is said to be high: whereas a cigarette smoker typically takes in about 1 milligram of nicotine, the Camel Dissolvables are said to deliver about 0.6 to 3.1 mg of nicotine each.

Unfortunately, these magical pellets of minty goodness are only available in a few test markets for right now (and I will be sure to pick up some when I'm next up in Columbus), but that isn't stopping the political outrage from being dispensed up on Capitol Hill.

The argument is essentially that these products are being marketed to the childrens and that its a way to get them hooked on cigarettes. But here is my question, if the "orbs" contain just as much (and possibly more) tobaccoey goodness as your typical cigarette, but without the social stigma and apparent negative health effects (though the potential for mouth cancer exists) of their traditional form, why assume that kids will make the jump to smokes? And really, how is it that much worse than Nicorettes which contain more nicotine per serving (4mg) than these products, and advertise their fruity flavor or tooth whitening ability?

Is it because a pharmaceutical company like GSK makes Nicorettes which makes them acceptable? Or is it because they package them in expensive $40-70 packs that renders them scornless? I don't care how much you call it a "stop smoking aid," it'll only get you to quit if you decide you don't want the nicotine any more, and stop chewing the gum. In terms of price, if you buy a 160 piece pack at $70, it comes out to about $8.50 a "pack" (or 20 cigarette equivelent), which isn't much more than the new smoke prices that went into effect after the new tobacco taxes were levied.

State Democrat Smacks Down City Democrats on Guns

Sen. Dooouuug Jackson, via the Senate Democratic Caucus Press Secretary, attempts to nip in the bud an effort by the Nashville Metro Council to negate a new law allow for firearms in establishments that serve alcohol:

"The proposed ordinance is clearly not the correct approach and is barred by state law. State law presently gives the restaurant owner the choice to prohibit handguns by posting proper signage.

"There is no need to remove options from restaurant owners or interfere with the rights of law-abiding citizens by revoking beer permits and punishing restaurants."

Jackson cites TN state law to back up his claims, "TCA 39-17-1314(a), reads in part, 'No city, county, or metropolitan government shall occupy any part of the field of regulation of the transfer, ownership, possession, or transportation of firearms, ammunition, or components of firearms or combination thereof ...'"

Sounds So Much Less Hostile Coming From A Jewish Person

Ilissa Gold weighs in on the subject of settlements in Israeli occupied Palestinian land:

The settlements issue pisses me off more than anything. Here's how I describe it--let's say I decided to go into Mexico to create my own village. Let's say I decided to build my village on some Mexican's land. The Mexican protests, saying it's his land. Oh, but I have an ancient book that I believe was written by an invisible deity that says it's my land, so it doesn't matter whatever "deed" or "title" you may have that grants you the land under secular law. So now I build my village, and I set up roadblocks so that the Mexicans can't get anywhere near my village without going through checkpoints, which greatly impairs their ability to get around. And now they're getting pissed off, so they start throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. So in response, I DEMAND that the U.S. government send in the Army to protect me.

In such a situation, do you think the U.S. government should send the Army in, or laugh in my face and remind me that I chose to live there and therefore have to deal with the consequences?

Speaking of Traditional Marriage

It appears that Fox is doing its damndest to show what a farce the argument over "traditional" marriage in the United States is as they seek to kick it old school by arranging marriages between people who've never met in an hour long weekly TV series.

In A. Smith & Co.’s “I Married a Stranger,” a woman frustrated by the dating scene agrees to marry a man she’s never met. While she prepares for a blind wedding, friends and family are shown selecting a spouse from a pool of six eligible suitors offered by producers. The men are eliminated one by one until only two candidates remain. Both finalists walk down the aisle, but only one makes it to the altar to reveal himself to his new wife.

So, just to be clear...Fox News spends day after day scaring the public into thinking that a monogamous same-sex couple tying the knot means the destruction of American civilization as we know it; but their network division allowing producers to match couples based on their telegenic qualities is both perfectly legal and most likely a strong ratings grabber.

Have No Fear Grainger Co...

...you will not be forgotten.

Apology or Empathy?

I just got through reading the President's lengthy speech from Cairo which is classic Obama in his "on one hand, on the other..." approach to differing views. Rather than condemning or praising one side or the other, he acknowledged both sides, be it America vs. the Arab world, or Israel vs. Palestine. Such as this passage:

Around the world, the Jewish people were persecuted for centuries, and anti-Semitism in Europe culminated in an unprecedented Holocaust. Tomorrow, I will visit Buchenwald, which was part of a network of camps where Jews were enslaved, tortured, shot and gassed to death by the Third Reich. Six million Jews were killed - more than the entire Jewish population of Israel today. Denying that fact is baseless, ignorant, and hateful. Threatening Israel with destruction - or repeating vile stereotypes about Jews - is deeply wrong, and only serves to evoke in the minds of Israelis this most painful of memories while preventing the peace that the people of this region deserve.

On the other hand, it is also undeniable that the Palestinian people - Muslims and Christians - have suffered in pursuit of a homeland. For more than sixty years they have endured the pain of dislocation. Many wait in refugee camps in the West Bank, Gaza, and neighboring lands for a life of peace and security that they have never been able to lead. They endure the daily humiliations - large and small - that come with occupation. So let there be no doubt: the situation for the Palestinian people is intolerable. America will not turn our backs on the legitimate Palestinian aspiration for dignity, opportunity, and a state of their own.

This is his way, and it probably stems a lot from his upbringing of being emerged in vastly different cultures from an early age, as well as being raised by a mother whose life work was devoted to understanding indigenous cultures around the world. He can see both sides of the coin, and while he has his ideological and cultural preferences, he doesn't exclude all others as "wrong".

After reading his speech, I find very little in the way of "apologizing" for America. The closest he probably gets is his acknowledgment of the US Government's role in the present state of Iran, "or many years, Iran has defined itself in part by its opposition to my country, and there is indeed a tumultuous history between us. In the middle of the Cold War, the United States played a role in the overthrow of a democratically-elected Iranian government. Since the Islamic Revolution, Iran has played a role in acts of hostage-taking and violence against U.S. troops and civilians."

Obama is not the first American official to acknowledge this...Secretary of State Madeline Albright apologized for Mossadeq's overthrow back in 2000, but he may very well be the first President to acknowledge this action in a major speech on foreign soil. He also acknowledges that Iran has the legal right to pursue nuclear power:

understand those who protest that some countries have weapons that others do not. No single nation should pick and choose which nations hold nuclear weapons. That is why I strongly reaffirmed America's commitment to seek a world in which no nations hold nuclear weapons. And any nation - including Iran - should have the right to access peaceful nuclear power if it complies with its responsibilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That commitment is at the core of the Treaty, and it must be kept for all who fully abide by it. And I am hopeful that all countries in the region can share in this goal.

While I'm sure its controversial to some, the fact is that civilian nuclear power was a plan devised and supported by the US Government back in the 1970s when the puppet regime of the Shah was in place. Just because the Government is now under the control of a theocratic regime, one that isn't too hot on the nation of Israel, doesn't negate their right to pursue such programs.

Ultimately, the biggest difference between say the fundamentalist Islamic cultures of the Middle East and that of the Christian fundamentalists of the West has little to do with issues such as "terrorism" or social policy; in fact, on many issues the American right lines up pretty well with the Iranian mullahs. Rather, the biggest issue between the West and the Middle East has to do with economics.

Fundamentalist Muslims reject our version of capitalism that is based largely upon credit and moderate to high interest rates that are associated with it. Just like Christians during the Middle Ages, Muslims today in many parts of the world reject the free flow of capital and the accrual of wealth through lending. That is why their economy seems to be left behind to Western standards, and also why those who lay claim to vast sums of natural resources tend to have the most power in the region.

I'm not some free marketeer obsessed with Adam Smith or Milton Friedman, but at the same time, I do understand that the creation of new capital* through lending is crucial to economic development in the modern era. That change in thinking is going to be key to the modernization of the Arab world, and will most likely be necessary to see the kinds of secular liberalization that would bring them into the rest of the modern world.



*spelling corrected

Profiles in Courage

Only one Republican in the entire State House had the courage of their convictions to stand up to big mining interests and vote against a bill that would lax restrictions on the amount of toxic metals that could be dumped into Tennessee waterways. Bill Dunn was the lone Republican to vote with the Democrats to kill a bill sponsored by Joe McCord, who last Monday specifically thanked certain corporate lobbyists from the floor of the House for their help in passing another bill to support the mining industry. Via Woods:

"This may be the worst bill I've seen up here in my 10 years," House Democratic caucus chair Mike Turner said. "We'll have the most polluted streams in the country."

"Who brought you this bill?" Turner asked McCord.

"I got this bill from people in the coal industry," McCord replied without a trace of shame.

What does it say about our legislature when the chairman of the House Environment Committee is a lapdog for the coal industry?

Lock and Load and Watch Your Friends Drink

ACK reports that the TN State House has overridden the Governor's veto of the Guns in Bars bill by a larger margin than its original passage. I guess Speaker Emeritus Jimmy Naifeh's plea Monday in the Dem Caucus meeting for his fellow members to reconsider their votes went answered...just not the way he would've liked.

Correction, apparently the three extra votes where members not present for the original bill passage.

Cap and Trade Legislative Intelligence

The TN State Senate just passed a resolution which says that our fine state should not participate in any "cap and trade" system designed to reduce carbon emissions in the United States. It seems to have passed on a party-line vote, obviously with Republicans voting in favor and Democrats voting against.

What sticks in my craw is not so much the "posturing" nature of the resolution...I'll let ACK quibble about that. Rather, its the resolution itself, and the historically myopic position of the Republican party towards this sort of legislation.

In 1990, the US Congress passed, in a bi-partisan fashion with President GHW Bush's approval, a Clean Water Act that created a cap-and-trade system for Sulfur Dioxide in order to reduce acid rain. That program worked. It didn't really put any companies out of business, and as a result SO2 has been reduced by nearly 40% since the program's inception.

Republicans can decry this newfound taxation all they like, but in the end, cap-and-trade is a pseudo-free market approach to regulating pollutants that replaces more traditional liberal solutions of just regulating the stuff, the market be damned.

Ultimately, carbon will be regulated in this country, whether the GOP believes in global climate change or not. The sooner they accept that fact, the more favorable the final legislation will be towards their philosophy of "free markets" and "smaller Government" (or the philosophy they like to think they follow).

Mittens Might Get His Wish

It appears that President Obama is going to name another Republican to his administration, this time Rep. John McHugh from New York to be Secretary of the Army. Three months ago Rep. McHugh wrote an op-ed for the Washington Times in which he criticized the President and Sec. Gates for cutting certain programs out of the defense budget, and suggested increasing military expenditures would be a better way to stimulate the economy.

The budget delivered last week would put baseline defense spending at 3.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). This is hardly persuasive in light of reported plans to spend $4.5 trillion or 22 percent of GDP on social entitlements and other mandatory programs.

In contrast to the 1990s, we know where our security challenges reside. Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the fight against al Qaeda, Iranian and North Korean nuclear weapons programs, the return of a more aggressive Russia and the rise of China all require not only words, but resources too.

Diplomacy to be sure is a necessary condition, but that effort will ring hollow absent a strong commitment on defense. This is particularly true during the current economic crisis.

What is interesting is the striking similarity between what Rep. McHugh wrote, and what Mitt Romney said to the Heritage foundation.

Will McHugh fight the President and Secretary of Defense when it comes to scrapping needless or redundant programs from the budget? I hope for the President's sake this doesn't turn out to be another Gregg-like incident.

How To Ensure GM Fails...

...do as LAMAR! says and create 154 million shares of GM stock and distribute one to each and every taxpaying individual in the United States.

The best way to help the new GM succeed and recover the taxpayers’ $50 billion in loans may well be simply to give all the government’s stock to the taxpayers and get Washington out of the business of owning and running auto companies — the sooner the better,” Lamar said on the Senate floor late Monday.

In his remarks – which are available here – Tennessee’s senior senator pointed out that GM President and CEO Fritz Henderson told lawmakers Monday morning that unwinding the government’s stake in an orderly way would take longer than the Obama administration has said it wants to take. Giving taxpayers stakes in the company will, he added, create “154 million investor-cheeerleaders.”

“Those shares might not be worth much now, but put them away and one day they might contribute something toward a college education,” Alexander said. “One disadvantage: Giving the stock to taxpayers might well add a few more billion to the federal debt. But whose debt is it anyway? The 154 million taxpayers’. So why not give individual taxpayers the ride up if there is one?”

How the hell would that even work? What do you do with a paper share w/out a brokerage account? Would the US create or contract out a brokerage firm to handle the distribution of said shares? If all Americans held on to their shares, wouldn't that pretty well ensure the stock price remained flat? Think it through Lamar, think it through.

Ultimately, the individual taxpayers aren't currently footing the bill. We aren't getting assessed a special GM tax. This purchase will be financed by US bondholders, and they obviously think the US Treasury is a better investment than a GM stock, or else they'd be using their money to purchase GM stock. So, the US Government should keep their stake in the automotive company, and hopefully sell it off for a profit if and when GM turns around, in which case we can use that money to pay back the bondholders who loaned us the money to loan GM the money in the first place.

(h/t ACK)

Campfield Rebuked

Rep Stacey Campfield rebuked by his party and unified dems on
amendment to unemployment bill that would strip part-time workers of
coverage. Bill to extend benefits ultimately passes with 79 votes.

--
Sent from my mobile device

Mittens On The Military

Mitt Romney is today continuing to milk his one term as Massachusetts Governor for all its worth as he speaks before the Heritage Foundation on a topic he has just about zero personal experience with: Military Defense.

According to Mittens, at the end of the century (assuming there isn't some funky Mormon calendar, that would be 91 years from now):

There are four competing nations or groups of nations, representing four different ways of ways of life, that are vying to lead the world before the end of this century.

One is the world’s democracies, led by America. Our strategy is based on two principles: free enterprise and individual liberty. These have led us to become the most powerful nation in the history of the world.

The other three are Russia (representing energy authoritarianism), China (representing free enterprise authoritarianism), and the "Jihadists" who:

By means of escalating violence, they intend to cause the collapse of the other three competing visions, dragging the entire world back into a medieval dictatorship ruled by Mullahs and Ayatollahs.

Of these four competing strategies, notice that only one includes freedom. Only if America succeeds will freedom endure. Do not imagine for a single moment that China, Russia and the Jihadists have no intention of surpassing America and leading the world. Each is entirely convinced that it can do so.

Yeah, and Joseph Smith might have been entirely convinced that he was a prophet...that doesn't make it any less fantasy.

First off, I don't think anyone back in 1909 would have predicted the turn of events that lead to the geo-political map of 2001, so lets not be so arrogant as to assume that our world won't change or evolve in the next 91 years to change the dynamics of our world so drastically as to be beyond our present comprehension.

Second, the problem with Mitten's synopsis is that he essentially put "all democracies" under the umbrella of the United States. Which is fine if you can look past the arrogance of having one nation authoritatively speaking for all the others (not very Democratic is it?), but if that is the case, for the purpose of his discussion on military might, shouldn't we include the military budgets of our allies who'd be adversely effected by a Russian, Chinese, or "Jihadist" global supremacy?

Lets assume the unlikely scenario of a hot war between Russia and China, do we really think our allies would just sit by twittling their thumbs if they think the system of democratic capitalism is on the brink of demise? As for "Jihadists," their threat is still a fairly isolated one. Could the exact casualties in the West? Yes. Could they harm us? Yes. Could they overtake us and destroy our way of life? No.

What the perpetual presidential candidate Mitt Romney seems to think is that our military is somehow on the brink of collapse. Sure, the former GOP President's wars have strained our resources, but that doesn't make our military a house of cards that'll collapse if another country breathes on us too heavily. Worst case, we prematurely evacuate our forces from Iraq and/or Afghanistan if we need to send them to a more dangerous threat. Will it cause setbacks? Sure, but sometimes leadership requires choosing between the least worst options.

As a result, Mittens wants us to increase military spending to 4% of GDP from here on out. That includes increasing our stockpile of multi-ton radioactive paperweights, while at the same time spreading lots of dough around to defense contractors to build shiny new toys to replace our already more powerful-than-anyone-else kinda dingy toys that have protected us well for decades, because if you use some Republican style math, combine the military might of Russia and China, and compare it to our own, they could be considered to be half as powerful (rather than 5% as powerful) as the US military. Oogity Boogity.

Ultimately, there are concerns regarding China and Russia, but they aren't military, they are economic. Russia has a lot of energy resources, as a result, we might be reliant on them unless we focus our resources into finding alternative sources of energy, especially of the petroleum variety. With regards to China, its financial and economic. They own a good chunk of debt, and our desire to stay live outside our means threatens our long-term stability...a trend that started with Reagan and has continued under the Bush's and Obama. They also threaten our long term economic stability by siphoning off jobs and companies to their growing economy.

Instead of Mr. Romney trying to use outdated 1980s style fear tactics to scare the American public into clamoring for a larger defense budget than necessary, perhaps he should use his supposed keen business savvy to devise a way for America to continue its global supremacy in the face of more serious and immediate economic challenges, rather than fanciful military threats.

How To Lose a GOP Primary

Step one: Challenge the gun nuts.

Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons has shown the most opposition among the four major candidates, although he stops short of saying he would have mimicked Gov. Bredesen in vetoing the legislation.

Gibbons spokesman Joe Hall told NashvillePost.com Gibbons is "adamantly opposed" to guns in bars and restaurants and has said so publicly.

"Gibbons says guns and alcohol don't mix. He also believes it was wrong to dismiss bar and restaurant owners – a group that opposes gun carry into establishments," Hall wrote in an e-mail.

Apparently, he's never been out in the country with a case of Busch Lite, a Glock, and an abandoned car used for target practice, or he'd never say "guns and alcohol don't mix."

GOP Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam is also less than thrilled with the measure, though he's not about to step into that hornets nest. On the Dem side, it appears that Ward Cammack, Kim McMillan, and Jim Kyle are opposed to carrying pistolas in cantena's, while Rev. Herron thinks Jesus would have no problem with packin' heat where alcohol is imbibed. Mike McWherter is probably formulating an opinion on the matter with his advisers.

Sometimes You Gotta Crack A Few Eggs

The left side of the blogoshpere is quite apoplectic about the murder of a doctor who is known for performing abortions, so much so that our Buddhist blogger from Memphis is willing to suspend his disbelief in the death penalty.

I too think its tragic that a medical doctor was murdered for doing the bidding of his patients, and look forward to the man responsible being tried and convicted and hopefully sentenced to life without parole.

However, I have to say, I can at least somewhat understand the mentality involved with the killer here, because its sorta consistent with their beliefs.

If you do think that a two week old fetus is absolutely no different morally than a 2 year old baby, it makes sense that you'd be willing to go outside legal parameters to see that it stops. After all, I'd like to think that if I was aware of some guy going around killing two year old babies in public and with the tacit approval of law enforcement, I wouldn't just stand around, throw my hands up, and say, "oh wells, nothing I can do about it, the law is the law." Just as I'd like to think if I were a German living during the holocaust or a white person living during slavery I wouldn't just turn a blind eye to my fellow human beings.

And so, I can sort of understand why a person proclaiming his pro-life credentials would be willing to take "justice" into his own hands. Which makes me wonder, how seriously do the millions of other pro-lifers, and especially the upper echelons of the activist community, really take their cause and their stated beliefs that a fetus is no different than a baby? You have to imagine that in the back of their mind (or even at the silent forefront) they understand there is at some level an important distinction between a blastocyst and a bouncing bundle of joy...otherwise, would the limit their disgust to court approved protests behind court approved boundaries? Or adorable little license plates? Or tasteless bumper stickers?

Personally, I see a distinction between most fetuses and born babies. If my baby nephew were to die today it would be a lot more painful and tragic than if his mother had a miscarriage two months into the pregnancy, and I think most people would agree with that sentiment (not saying miscarriages aren't painful and tragic, but its still usually different than losing an infant). So maybe the pro-life movement would be wise to acknowledge the distinction between the two stages and life, and approach the abortion question as medical ethics issue, rather than a "killing babies" question. They might be able to gain some converts who are uncomfortable not drawing a distinction between the two.

Bible Thumpers Against Packing Heat

And The Lord said, "Thou shalt not bring thine weapon to thine pub for it may lead to bloodshed."

“When you put a gun in the hand of someone who is under the influence of alcohol, you’re really mixing a bloody cocktail,” said the Rev. Robert Hogan, East Tennessee Baptist Association moderator and interim director of missions.

If the bill’s supporters thought they were courting the religious right, Mr. Hogan said they missed the mark.

“You’re not courting us by allowing something like that,” he said. “The religious right doesn’t condone violence. You’re not courting us by giving the possibility of more violence and bloodshed.”

Of course, in fairness, it'll still be illegal for gun holders to drink whilst packing, so Rev. Hogan's argument is a little disingenuous on that front, and I don't know if he has the authority to say that "the religious right doesn't condone violence" when clearly a good number were all abouts some war back in the day.

But regardless of the specifics, it does seem there is a growing consensus outside of the legislature and NRA meeting groups that while allowing permit holders to carry in bars may not ultimately do harm, it also probably doesn't do much good either.

As you know doubt know last week Governor Bredesen vetoed the guns in bars legislation (though symbolic as it may be given the lax constitutional authority the Governor has to overturn congressional will). It will be interesting to see if the combination of clergy and law enforcement publicly coming out against this measure will sway the votes of any Conservative dems jumping onto the Guns in Bars bandwagon because they got some angry letters and calls from irate gun owners looking to spend some quality time drinking soda pop in a Honky Tonk at 1:30AM.

Hrmmm Could This Be A Result of Amniocentesis Testing?

Apparently there are fewer people with developmental disabilities so severe that the state needs to care for them in house...or at least that is what Governor Bredesen and the spox for the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities is saying as they seek to cut [overall state government] staff by over 700 [a majority of which are reported to be in MHDD]* and remove over 150 beds from the state's books:

Jill Hudson, spokeswoman for the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities, said the state is funded for 832 beds statewide, but there are currently only 633 people occupying them. She said the state plans to reduce the number of beds to 676, which means a reduction in staff.

"When you have a certain number of beds, you have to have a certain amount of staffing requirements," Hudson said. "So, when you get rid of the beds, automatically your staffing ratio will go down. I don't think any layoff is good, but if we don't have the bed numbers, we don't need the additional staff."

I wonder if the reduction in the need for the beds is a result of medical advancements which allow expectant mothers to test their expectant babies for mental disabilities and genetic abnormalities?

*corrected via comments.