On What Planet Do You Reside

Did those of you who attended the Jackson Day dinner feel the sense of hope and optimism in the air? If so, and you weren't quite sure why, Politico has the answer:

Republicans also are seen as having at least an even-odds chance of winning the governor’s mansion, where term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen exits at the end of next year.

Democrats have been buoyed somewhat by the summer entry into the race of Mike McWherter, the 52-year-old son of former Gov. Ned Ray McWherter, who at least has strong name recognition throughout the state.

Yeah, I guess I must've missed that...

For starters, McWherter's campaign was eclipsed in presence by a small army of Roy Herron volunteers, peppering you at every nook and cranny of the hotel and convention center with requests to take his sticker, and after the event, take his book God and Politics. To be sure, McWherter had his people out in force as well, but if you simply surveyed the room to determine the front-runner, the obvious answer would not necessarily be Mike McWherter.

Second, maybe Politico's Bill Nichols was talking to a different set than I was, but I have yet to run into anyone who thinks Mike McWherter is a good candidate. True, many like his name, and there are more than a few supporting him because they really like his father, but while that may take you places in a low-interest Democratic primary, there ain't know way in hell you can ride those coattails all the way to the Governor's mansion.

Now, I won't hide the fact that I'm generally pessimistic about the Democrats' chances to keep the Governor's office in 2010. Short of Ron NOBAMA Ramsey winning the primary, I think we have a slightly better than slim chance of winning that race regardless of who our nominee is. But I still think we should field the best candidate possible, and I have yet to see or hear any reason why Mike McWherter is that candidate.

(h/t No Chaser)

Jackson Day Redux

As many of those out there reading already knew, this past Saturday was the Jackson Day dinner to end all Jackson Day dinners for the TNDP. While I don't have hard figures, it certainly felt like there were more people in this convention hall than the past 2 Jackson Day's combined with over 300,000 3,000 attending, many of whom weren't even part of the Roy Herron blue-shirted army of volunteers, this was by far the most successful TNDP fundraiser in recent history, if not ever.

There were some protesters outside the event, some in favor of health care reform, some with "don't tread on me" flags, as if expanding access to health care and reducing cost inflation is equivalent to a tyrannical foreign monarchy controlling our nation's interest.




On the whole, the night was executed fairly well. Sure, with any event of this size there are gonna be problems, some table seating issues being the ones I noticed most (mainly, when you have 300+ tables, some people aren't going to like the seats they get), and I'm sure many other small fires put out along the way, but for the most part, the program started on time, dinner was served, and the night actually ended ahead of schedule...something not often experienced by Democrats.

Oh, and apparently there was some ridiculous State Department protocol which required Gov. Bredesen to be the one who introduced the keynote speaker, Bill Clinton. Sandwiched in-between Gore and Clinton, Bredesen has an uncanny ability to suck the life out of any party...I didn't even realize he was introducing the President until he muttered something about Katrina and Clinton and people started applauding as Bubba walked out.

But lets face it, the crowd wasn't there simply out of good will towards the party, it was there for one reason and one reason only, to see President Bill Clinton, and he delivered. Now, I'll be honest, my love for slick willy is not quite as great as before the Democratic primary last year, but with the animosity over that event dissipated, I could sit back and watch one of the greatest living politicians perform.

If I came away with anything from his speech, it strengthened my belief that the worst thing Democrats could do at this point is to capitulate to the angry mob and fail to enact a health care reform bill. President Clinton talked about the similarities between this fight and the one in 1993, and how when people actually found out what was really in the bill, they liked it...but its complex, and anything complex by its nature can be distorted by the opposition.

Other than health care, the President lavished praised on his former running-mate Al Gore, whom he said was the best Vice President ever, and noted that he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to see the release of the Current TV contributors that were imprisoned in North Korea.

I've posted the first clip of Clinton's speech below, visit Vibinc to see the rest.

Careful What You Ask For

It appears that Barney Frank has joined the likes of Ron Paul in "auditing" the Federal Reserve. I don't know about you, but this clip from The Lost Ark comes to mind...it just seems like a recipe for blowing down the house of cards that is our economic system.

The Party of No

The Democrats really ought to be taking advantage of the GOP's desire to be the party of "NO". Now you've got the Chairman of the RNC seeking pledging to never cut Medicare, a program once demonized by Ronald Reagan and which continued to be viewed negatively by Republican party leaders for the decades to follow. No more, now its hands around the world for socialized medicine (so long as the recipients are over 65).

So perhaps now is the time for Democrats to get Republicans to abandon some of their other principles...for instance, opposition to gay rights. Democrats should introduce a Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. And because the GOP reflexively opposes any proposal by the Democrats, they will have to vote against such an amendment. VICTORY!

Jackie and Dunlap Salute Ted Kennedy

What Can HR3200 Do For You?

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has done some legwork for the members of Congress and compiled a list of what HR3200 would supposedly do for their districts.

In Cooper's district:

America’s Affordable Health Choices Act would provide significant benefits in the 5th Congressional District of Tennessee: up to 16,000 small businesses could receive tax credits to provide coverage to their employees; 7,800 seniors would avoid the donut hole in Medicare Part D; 2,060 families could escape bankruptcy each year due to unaffordable health care costs; health care providers would receive payment for $82 million in uncompensated care each year; and 76,000 uninsured individuals would gain access to high-quality, affordable health insurance.

The Committee (whose Chairman was elected in part by the efforts of Rep. Cooper) was kind enough to make these breakdowns in easily printable, one-sheet pages for easy distribution.

Perhaps a wealthy Tennessee Democrat could start printing these out and mailing them to their respective districts?

(via Kos)

(Side Note: Both Bart Gordon and Marsha Blackburn sit on the Health subcommittee for Energy and Commerce)

And The Winner Is...

Will Norrid of Alamo, TN won the "Name Kim McMillan's Web Video" contest. The winning entry was, "Tennessee First: A First for Tennessee."

Tribute to Kennedy

Sen. Orrin Hatch has released a tribute song to Sen. Kennedy. What is most amazing is how much Sen. Hatch sounds like an old black man...

Vote on McMillan Video

The finalists for the Kim McMillan "name our video" contest are in, and now its your chance to choose the title. The finalists are:

A Passion for Progress
An Obligation To Give Back
Tennessee First: A First for Tennessee
Proven Leadership for a Better Tennessee

I don't know about you, but I think "A Passion for Progress" is the best, but hey, that's just me, I like passion, and I like progress...don't you?

Login to KimMcMillan.com to cast your vote.

The Cash for Clunkers Eulogy

Cato is writing it, and its a negative one for them. This Conservative/Libertarian think tank runs down the supposed failures of the CARS program, starting with the "destruction of wealth":

A few billion dollars worth of wealth was destroyed. About 750,000 cars, many of which could have provided consumer value for many years, were thrown in the trash. Suppose each clunker was worth $3,000 at a guess, that would mean that the government destroyed $2.25 billion of value.

First off, its a pretty wild assumption to say the average value of the vehicles was $3,000. The value of the cars had to be less than $3,500 or $4,500 for this program to be of any worth to the consumer, in all likelihood, many of the "clunkers" were just that, clunkers, whose resale values were marginal at best given the requirement for repairs and what not. My guess, which is what Cato is doing, is that the average car value was closer to $1,500 or less.

Low-income families, who tend to buy used cars, were harmed because the clunkers program will push up used car prices.

A few things. First, this assumes that had this program not been available to the public, they still would've traded in their used cars for new ones. In all likelihood, a good portion would've kept those cars and run them into the ground, and a good portion would've then purchased used cars instead of new ones, thus decreasing the supply of the used car market. While some cars that might otherwise have ended up in a used car lot are now set for the scrap heap, the fact is there are roughly 235 million cars and trucks registered in America, so the removal of 750K from the road does not mean doom and gloom for used car dealers.

Taxpayers were ripped off $3 billion. The government took my money to give to people who will buy new cars that are much nicer than mine!

A fair point. Though the creation of tax revenue from this program might offset some of the costs, and if people got their jobs back because of this program, it reduces pressure on the public welfare system.

The federal bureaucracy has added 1,100 people to handle all the clunker administration. Again, taxpayers are the losers.

Were they permanent or temporary? If temporary, no big deal.

The environment was not helped. See here and here.

The environment was helped, just marginally compared to the overall damage done by daily traffic congestion. A drop in the bucket still leaves more water than we had before.

The auto industry received a short-term “sugar high” at the expense of lower future sales when the program is over. The program apparently boosted sales by about 750,000 cars this year, but that probably means that sales over the next few years will be about 750,000 lower. The program probably further damaged the longer-term prospects of auto dealers and automakers by diverting their attention from market fundamentals in the scramble for federal cash.

Spoken like an economist who doesn't understand how the real world works. Not everyone who took advantage of this program would've otherwise purchased a NEW vehicle within the next couple years. Many probably could've held onto their cars for years to come, many probably would've opted for a used vehicle when it came time to get a new car...a good thing for used car dealers, but not for our auto manufacturing base.

Ultimately, this helps car manufactures, some foreign and some domestic, it helped new car dealers, and used car dealers will be just fine because there are still millions of vehicles on the road that need to be traded in. We can argue the philosophical aspect of whether its "right" to have the Government redistributing wealth so that people can buy new cars, but from a macroeconomic standpoint, this program had a net positive effect on our economy.

(h/t Ben Cunningham)

District 5 Surprisingly Well Informed

A new Research 2000 poll commissioned by DailyKos shows that voters in the 5th district have been paying attention to the debate over health care, and have found their Representative wanting.

When asked if they approved of Cooper's actions related to health care, a whopping 77% of Democrats said they do not, compared to 68% of Republicans who like what Jim was doing.

While overall Democrats still have a favorable opinion of Cooper by a 57-33 margin, his willingness to diverge with his constituents on such a critical issue could lead to an opening for a progressive primary challenger. While, in normal years, this effort would be easily written off (and is still highly unlikely), I've heard vague and probably unreliable rumors that certain unions would be willing to bring in national money for a primary challenger should Rep. Cooper ultimately support the Republicans in the battle over health care reform.

At the very least, Cooper shouldn't be granted this seat for life, and he should have to defend the way he votes to his constituents. That won't happen with a Republican challenger, but it could with a primary challenger...time will tell if someone has the cojones to step up to the plate.

h/t ACK

Lemme Get This Straight...

While James Cameron's new movie sounds technologically and graphically badass and will most certainly be on my Winter must see list, I'm having a little trouble with this:

Jake is a former Marine who is confined to a wheelchair following a war on Earth. He is selected to take part in the Avatar program - where his mind will control a healthy body on a remote world - and sent to Pandora, a rainforest-covered moon with a mix of beautiful and terrifying creatures, known as the Na'vi.

So, we've figured out how to travel to distant, inhabitable, worlds most assuredly outside of our solar system. We've managed to develop a way to create and control biological entities remotely, but, oh wait, we still haven't figured out how to repair the human spinal cord.

Yep.

Why No Victory Dance?

Roger Abramson wants you to keep in mind who exactly is on the hook to pass Health Care reform:

President Obama is blaming the Republicans for killing the Democrats' attempt at health care reform...

...Try all they wish to pin blame on Republicans, but, if they do indeed screw this up, Democrats have no one to blame but themselves. And it's pathetic for them to pretend otherwise. Indeed, they could pass anything they want without a single Republican vote. So, what's stopping them?

Well, first off, the President isn't blaming anyone for killing health care reform because health care reform isn't dead. He has blamed them for some of the misinformation out there...which is perfectly legitimate given their propensity to lie through their teeth about what is and isn't in the package.

But, ultimately, the health care reform bill hasn't moved anywhere in the past few weeks because Congress has been out of session for the past few weeks. Prior to that, it had made its way through three House committees and is well on its way to a floor vote in that chamber, and has made its way through the HELP committee in the Senate, and is currently being held up by one Senator (Max Baucus) in one Committee in the Senate. With the pressure of the entire caucus on him, he isn't going to be able to bottle up the bill with his super-duper-special gang of six, and ultimately it'll have to go to a full committee vote and make its way to the Senate floor.

At that point, theoretically, the Democrats have 60 votes. Obviously, in practical terms, that isn't quite the case, given that in that number we have folks like Ben Nelson and Kent Conrad who are more conservative than some Republicans. Not to mention we'll have to wheel Sens. Kennedy and Byrd in on stretchers (not that we aren't more than willing to do that).

Ultimately though, any Democrat who doesn't realize the devastating impact it will have on the party if we DON'T pass this bill, is either incredibly myopic or incredibly stupid. If a handful of Conservative Dems allow Health Care reform to go down in flames, they will doom the caucus to failure in 2010. As of right now, we are already taking a hit by Conservative Republicans and Independents that don't want us to do anything on Health Care, but if we fail, then Liberal Dems will sit on their hands in 2010 because what the hell is the point if even when we get them the magical 60 seats they kept begging for money for, we still can't do anything but give a parachute to irresponsible Wall Street firms.

Dear Friends...

My name is Ron Ramsey. I apparently don't know much of anything about this state, nor do I have any real plans to enact if and when I'm elected Governor, but I do know that the GOP base is like a group of High Schoolers at a football game, and so I'm going to shout out the names Pelosi and Obama as much as possible in the hopes that you won't confuse my head with questions like, "what have you done to help the state since being put in place as Speaker of the Senate?"

So please answer my poll question that is completely irrelevant to anything having to do with the TN Gubernatorial race, and while you're there, throw me a few bones too.

Thanks Again,
Ron "Nobama!" Ramsey

Let The Decibel Battle Begin

This Saturday, around Noon, citizens of this great state will gather to participate in the time honored tradition of trying to shout down their neighbor in the hopes of...well, not sure what they hope to accomplish, but I'm sure they'll feel good doing it.

The time to reform health insurance and health care is NOW! Come out and show your support for health insurance reform and rally against the status quo.

When: August 22 at 12 noon

Where: Rep. Cooper's office, 600 Church St. Nashville

Why: The Next few weeks will decide the shape and potency of health insurance reform, we must let our voices be heard!

I also had another email saying the teabaggers were gonna be there too, so it'll be interesting to see who has harsher words for Rep. Cooper, the Left of the Right.

See Also:

Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Nashville) has agreed to a one-hour “radio town hall meeting” on Nashville’s Morning News with Ralph Bristol, on Supertalk 99.7 WTN, Monday, Aug. 24th, from 7-8 a.m.

Expect copious amounts of Rep. Cooper chucking liberals under the bus.

Of Nazis and Health Care

Leave it to Barney Frank to put those ridiculous teabaggers in their place:



This clip of Frank taking on some crank comparing Obama's health care policy to that of the Nazis got me wondering...what exactly was the history of Health Care under Nazi Germany?

What I found was an article in the Conservative/Libertarian magazine The Freeman from back in 1993 which takes a look at Health Care in Germany and finds that most of the "socialist" health care policies, even the policies of sterilization and euthanasia, started well before Heir Hitler took office:

The German social insurance and health care system began in the 1880s under Bismarck. Ironically, it was part of Bismarck’s “anti-socialist” legislation, adopted under the theory that a little socialism would prevent the rise of a more virulent socialism.

By the time of Weimar, German doctors had become accustomed to cooperating with the government in the provision of medical care. The reforms of the Weimar Republic following the medical crises of World War I included government policies to provide health care services to all citizens. Socially minded physicians placed great hope in a new health care system, calling for a single state agency to overcome fragmentation and the lack of influence of individual practitioners and local services. The focus of medicine shifted from private practice to public health and from treating disease to preventable health care. During the German “economic consolidation” of 1924-1928, public health improved under new laws against tuberculosis, venereal disease, and alcoholism, with new advisory centers for chemical dependency and counseling bureaus for marriage and sexual problems.

Of course, one could read this and still find cause for concern with the much milder plans of the Obama administration. "Will doctors become instruments of public policy as opposed to patient care?" Well, to some extent they already are, lecturing on obesity and smoking, but for the most part the two coincide quite nicely in that a healthier public is better for a healthier economy.

It seems that many of the President's detractors are latching on to this Hitler reference because of malicious rumors about "death panels" and forced euthanasia...wholly fabricated myths which ignore the fact that forced euthanasia is still illegal in all 50 states, and the only two states that allow for doctor-assisted death with dignity are Oregon and Washington.

But regardless, the brutal and inhumane nature of the German policies of sterilization and euthanasia were not the natural by-product of a national health care policy; nearly every major industrialized nation has some sort of national health care plan and none of them have the kinds of programs or policies adopted under the Nazi regime.

The reason for those were a distinct ideology of racial and ethnic superiority which required the domination of "lesser" races and peoples in order for those people to maintain their power.

The Democratic party, as is often pointed out by Conservatives like Pat Buchanan and other racialists, can hardly be accused of this sort of nationalism or racial autonomy. We are in fact a party that has embraced multiculturalism and a belief in the inherent goodness of racial diversity; a fact that is to our political detriment in many rural white areas especially in the South.

If anything can be learned from German history, it would be the danger of having a health care policy controlled by the Government, and then giving control of it to a nationalistic political party which values "traditional" American values and society above all.

Side Note:

Another article posted by the ADL shows that the Nazis had quite an aggressive anti-smoking policy that found cigarettes caused cancer long before the American medical community was willing to come to that consensus. So, if Republicans are looking for a Hitler reference in there, perhaps they can focus on the Dems anti-tobacco legislation.

Update:

In all fairness, it appears that it was a follower of Lyndon LaRouche who was comparing Obama's health care plan to that of Nazi Germany. The Weekly Standard assumes this means they are really Democrats, but his followers occupy a party and planet unto themselves.

'Bout Effing Time

In the "About Effing Time" Department:

The Metro Council passed the Non-discrimination ordinance on second reading by a vote of 23-16. I missed the debate over it, but apparently there was a significant amount of asshatery going on, which is not entirely surprising.

In other, "what the hell took you so long?" news, it appears that the White House and Congressional Dems are having a come to Jesus over the fact that no matter how much they bend over backwards to make deals with the Republicans on Health Care, at best there are only three senate votes up for grabs; Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, and George Voinovich (simply because old-man-who-ain't-gonna-run syndrome has kicked in and he is tired of the hillbilly caucus controlling his vote).

I think this can be optimized by Sen. Jon Kyle's apparent opposition to the "compromise" plan of allowing for non-profit health insurance co-ops as opposed to a Government run plan. Essentially, they are trying to scare the populace at any cost into believing their lives will be destroyed under any health care plan passed, so they feel it behooves them to trash any sort of reform, whatsoever, short of the Democrats allowing the Republicans to write the bill themselves and forcing members of the Democratic caucus to vote in favor of massive deregulation billed as "reform".

The Bridges of Montgomery County : The Kim McMillan Story

Want to go to Jackson Day but find yourself lacking the requisite piles of cash? Have a creative itch that needs to be scratched? Have we got the contest for you...

Gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan has a pair of tickets to the upcoming Jackson Day dinner with President Clinton and Vice-President Gore as headliners. All you have to do to win the tickets is come up with the best title for her 5 minute biopic.



Go to KimMcMillan.com now to play.

Rally in Murfreesboro

Put down your pitchforks and Hitler mustaches and come out for a nice respectful rally in favor of Health Care reform.

License to be a Dick

In Case You Haven't Heard

The 1992 Presidential ticket is having a reunion tour in Nashville at the end of the month.

President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore both will appear at the Tennessee Democratic Party's Jackson Day Dinner on Aug. 29, state Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester said.

Forrester noted ticket sales for the Nashville event are going through the roof, requiring an expansion of the event's location to include the Convention Center, which is located next door to the Renaissance Hotel.

Get 'em while they're hot.

That Is Senator Wingnut To You!

Adam Kleinheider reports that a potential candidate to be the GOP nominee to replace Sen. Horndog is dropping out, clearing the way for Rep. Campfield's West Tennessee imitator, Brian Kelsey, to represent that district.

One thing you have to give to Shelby County, they are nothing if not diverse.

In other news from crazyville. Rep. Susan Lynn ain't gettin' no love from her fellow legislators in her effort to replace a woman she has no love for, Sen. Mae Beavers. It seems that the "establishment" is backing a man, A.J. McCall, who has been accused of trying to force a woman into his van while intoxicated, and twice arrested for DUI's which were taken care of by his friends up the chain of command.

As The Birthers Turn

The soap opera that is the Obama Birther movement continues full speed with new information that has come to light which raises legitimate questions about the President's eligibility to hold his position. I won't hold you in suspense...

A new wrinkle in the dispute over his birth – and whether he is eligible to be president under the U.S. Constitution's requirement that the president be none other than a "natural born" citizen – appeared today when Obama's MySpace page confirmed his age is 52.

That would mean if he was born on the islands that now make up the state of Hawaii it would have been during the archipelago's days as a territory for the United States, the status for the islands from about 1900 until it became a state in 1959.

And to think, this massive conspiracy to defraud the American people has been undone by some lowly intern in charge of updating a social networking site that few people still even use. Sigh.

In other "OMFG THE PRESIDENT IS OF AFRICAN DECENT" news, Terry Frank reveals that President Reagan, three years upon leaving his office, had a copy of his birth certificate issued by the State of Illinois sent to the Reagan Presidential library in order to dismiss conspiracy theories perpetrated by Conservatives that Ronald Reagan was in fact born of a virgin and sent to save mankind from the liberal heathens.

Frank is kind enough to point out that unlike the forged document on HUSSEIN's website, the former President from Illinois has "the real thing" and not a "certification of live birth here." Because the addition of the word "live" in between "of" and "birth" somehow cheapens what should otherwise be a sacred document housed by state governments. [h/t ACK]

Surreal

Who would've thunk it? The political narrative has turned into Democrats want to stop covering old people in the medical insurance plan THEY created over GOP opposition; while the Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to consider any efforts towards reducing costs to be the equivalent of murdering your grandmother.



Perhaps it is a matter of shifting demographics. As the people who catapulted Ronald Reagan into office start to get into their twilight years, the GOP has gone from a predominantly middle-aged demographic into an increasingly older demographic. They saw great successes in 2008 by portraying Obama as a scary terrorist loving foreigner who wants gays to marry and babies to die, so how better to consolidate that demographic than to lie through their teeth about an originally GOP proposal to help pay for older people to get what any good financial or medical planner would tell them to get; a living will.

Indeed, in 2008, the only age demographic won by the GOP was that of people 65 and older, while groups such as the 30-44 and 45-64 age ranges, which have often gone Republican in the past, swung in the Democratic direction.

One wonders what'll happen if Democrats ever decide to tackle the issue of Social Security reform. Will the new GOP line be for the Government to keep their hands off of this time honored public program? Or will they risk their elderly base to push for radical "reforms" as they have in the past?

Ron Ramsey for Speaker!

Speaker of the Senate Ron Ramsey apparently has higher asperations than Governor of Tennessee; he wants to be Speaker of the US House of Representatives! At least, that is the conclusion I'd draw from the recent email he blasted out which has fuckall to do with his run for Governor:

Did you read the op-ed in USA Today earlier this week by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer? In case you haven't, here are their words: "These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views--but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American."

Honestly, I've read it over and over and still can't believe my eyes! As our nation debates likely one of the most important issues of our time, Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer (I'll bet, with encouragement from the Obama Administration) are calling voters who voice their opinion "un-American." Personally, I strongly believe that attending town hall meetings and stating your case is exactly what makes our nation so strong. Taking an active role in our government and standing up for what you believe in should be encouraged, not squashed!

Read what Pelosi said, "drowning out opposing views is simply un-American". So, is Ronnie saying that "we" like to drown out opposing views? Or is he conflating every conservative who attends a townhall meeting to those asshats who yell and scream when the Congress-critter tries to respond to one of their loaded monologues they call a question?

Nah, I Ain't Jewish, I Just Don't Dig on Swine, That's All

The numbers are in and Rep. Jim Cooper trumps all Republicans, save Phil Roe, in terms of his anti-pork ways.

The Campfield Chronicles

Stacey Campfield takes on the Republican nominees for Governor and does a pretty good job of pressing them for answers (at least, halfway through the first Haslam clip).

Bill Haslam
Ron Ramsey
Zach Wamp
Bill Gibbons

The Real Reason There Isn't a Birth Certficate...

President Obama was not born, he was created...

Obama Debunks Birther Conspiracy - watch more funny videos

The L Word

Mike Byrd likes his liberals to be leather clad and grasping a beer, and as such is nonplussed by Megan Barry's cosmo drinking ways:

My motivation [for not harassing CM Gilmore] is my belief that CM [Megan] Barry is a lipstick liberal, prompted less by abiding progressive principles and more by safe choices and prospects of kowtowing to the Mayor's office.

CM Barry seems to be burning all of her political capital on this issue. She's not used any for the ones for which I've advocated. In fact, after her early opposition to bargaining with Predators, issue after issue she has receded into the background rather than taking a strong progressive stand (unless Mayor Karl Dean does so). Barry baited us to join the fight against Tygard's LEDs, then she switched to acquiescence. At her inexplicably least liberal moment, she supported the Mayor's regressive stormwater fee structure that taxes smaller, greener property owners more than the big, blacktopped boys. And then she had the audacity to blame another council progressive for making her vote unprogressively.

Mike is refusing to heed Barry's call to urge Erica Gilmore to support her non-discrimination ordinance because she, up to now, has not sufficiently fought and bled for the issues he cares about, and as such, that means she isn't really liberal or progressive:

Either express support for the issues I believe in or find a substantive liberal sponsor who is not just using a single progressive issue cosmetically to satisfy her future Democratic Party aspirations. I require something more profound than the triflings of lipstick liberals to pull me on board.

I find it hard to wrap around a mindset which declares that a person is not a member of a broad ideological group because he or she does not have the exact same passions or causes that I do. Now, maybe you had high hopes for Megan Barry when she was running for council, and you are disappointed that she hasn't been your surrogate vote in Metro Government, but that doesn't make her any less liberal because she has not done exactly as you would have.

The Real Deal

Randy Neal is poised to post an interview which led him to the impression that Kim McMillan is the "real deal".

The White Paper Candidate

Say what you will about Ward Cammack's chances for winning the Democratic party, he is by far the most detailed candidate in the race.

A couple days ago his campaign released a white paper on his plan for a sustainable Tennessee (.pdf), I would've posted on it earlier but my attention span has been lacking to the point that I start reading a few pages and either fall asleep or start doing something else.

Much of the 39 page paper has to do with identifying the problems Tennessee faces, from the reduction in availability of fossil fuels, to the downfall of the family farmer. Mr. Cammack feels he has a plan that can help Tennessee weather the coming storm.

Ummm, Yay?

Sen. McCaskill urges town hall goers to take a bet on whether or not the Congress will pass a Single-payer health insurance program, as if that would be a bad thing.

Kyle Announces

Sen. Jim Kyle makes his mark as the fifth Democrat to announce his or her candidacy for Governor.

On his new website, Kyle's first focus appears to be higher education, and a pledge that "[w]e are going to have a higher education system focused on graduating students, not enrolling them."

Kyle hails from Shelby County, a place where Democrats don't have to be ashamed to be Democrats, so it'll be interesting to see how he runs his campaign. Will he try and go for the liberal vote, or will he focus on a centrist strategy...already, he has ruled out any support for an income tax, so that makes five for five in terms of Democrats who don't support progressive taxation in Tennessee.

Why You Shouldn't Write Articles Whilst High

Adam Kleinheider has found salvation for the Democrats Gubernatorial chances in 2010, and has found it in the scrappy "progressive populist," Rosalind Kurita.

There is a potential candidate out there who could change the dynamic and really make an impact. This candidate could provide the party with a vision different from both the old Dixiecratic good ole boy Democratic party as well as the new community organizers of Chip Forrester.

This candidate could outline a program for a party that was at the same time solidly progressive and fiercely populist. A party that could stand just as easily against the reactionary conservatism of Ron Ramsey as the milquetoast moderation of Bill Haslam.

I'm talking of course about the former state Senator from Clarksville, Rosalind Kurita.

Yes, the same Rosland Kurita who is in the process of suing the TNDP and members of the Executive Committee, using a right-wing anti-abortion Republican James Bopp (who also sponsored the RNC resolution to have the GOP use the term "Democrat Socialist" in all party references to the Democratic party) to do so.

The same Rosalind Kurita who dumped over $32K in the State GOP warchest (which undoubtedly helped them upset the Democratic majority in the State House) after having the results of her primary election declared "incurably uncertain".

To be sure, she has taken progressive positions from time to time, and has been a proponent of nanny-state smoking restrictions, but for all intents and purposes she has jumped into bed with the TNGOP and the Democrats don't want sloppy thirds.

Kurita offers nothing special or new to the slate of Democratic candidates. Her politics aren't any more progressive than a Jim Kyle, and she wouldn't appeal to Republicans when running against an actual Republican.

But People Wore Green?!?!?

Uh-oh, it looks like White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stepped in it yesterday by calling President Mahmoud Ahmadenijad the "elected leader" of Iran.



Predictably, some conservatives (and Andrew Sullivan) are apoplectic about this statement because, well, we assume the election was stolen.

Now, I understand there were protests, at least a few hundred thousand people stormed the streets, wore green, called for new elections, and were punished harshly by the regime for it...but through it all, was there ever much proof that the election was "stolen"? Yeah, it felt wrong, and it was obvious a lot of Iranians weren't to happy with the results, but is it so entirely unthinkable that outside of the big city Tehran, most Iranians were fine with their Conservative/Populist President?

If there is a way to independently verify that the election in Iran was indeed stolen, I'd be all ears, until then, fraudulent election or not, Mad Mahmoud is the elected leader of Iran.

Fred Thompson Speaks The Truth

Buried in his article of BS, Ol' Fred Thompson from Fred Thompson's Old Timey News Hour breaks down what the "Democrats wanna kill granny" portion of the health care bill actually does:

So is this a conspiracy to kill off granny? No. Will seniors be forced to make decisions they don't want to make? No. But will "practitioners" be encouraged to have end-of-life discussions that include when it might be best for patients to allow their life to end earlier than it has to? Of course.

Oh, how awful. Now, I'd also caveat that I don't entirely agree with the description. To me, living wills and such are not to dictate that life "end earlier than it has to," but rather it lets the patient define what life is. For me, life is the ability to think and interact with the world, without those abilities, I say go through my body for spare parts and torch the rest...I have no desire to pay (or have someone pay for me) to keep my bag of skin and bones "alive" if my mental capacity is significantly diminished.

Others may disagree, and that is the point...to allow each individual to define what "life" is to them, instead of having protracted legal disputes or unnecessarily prolonged hospital stays.

No Chasing The Gubernatorial Candidates

Mark Brown looks at the numbers from the Davidson County Democratic Party's silent auction and finds Sen. Herron wanting in fans to have lunch with him:

McWherter — $65
Berke — $50
Finney — $40
Herron — $40

Could this spell trouble for Herron’s political aspirations? Is McWherter half again as popular with Davidson County Democrats as his fellow Dresden native? Should we throw Finney’s support in with McWherter’s? After all, the caucus chair has endorsed his cousin. That would make McWherter over twice as popular with Davidson D’s as Herron. And where do the Berke supporters fall?

One could also look at the numbers and cringe at the fact that the most a potential Governor on the Democratic side could garner for a private lunch, in a room full of Democrats, is $65.

You Can Keep Your Policy Mumbo-Jumbo, We Want Charlie Pride!

The White House blog goes through the viewership numbers from some of their events broadcast on White House Live and finds that while Tennessee isn't big on policy details like the threat of the flu and the economic advisers, Tennesseans were tuned in big time to the President's reception of Country musicians.

Come On Pat

Seeing as Pat Buchanan was so hot and bothered at the notion that Sonia Sotomayor was an "affirmative action" pick for the Supreme Court, it will be interesting to see if he will show equal disdain for John McCain's campaign now the obvious has been made official: Sarah Palin was picked to be VP for the sole reason that she was one of the few women in the GOP that McCain could get along with.

Tennessee Blues

Did you hear? We are still a blue state, at least according to a Gallup poll analysis which shows a 47-39% Democratic advantage in the state...despite John McCain's recent trouncing of Barack Obama, and despite a Republican State House and Senate.

Based on Gallup's numbers, we are just about tied with Florida in terms of Democratic identification, which on the state level sort of makes sense...they do have a Republican state legislature, a GOP governor, and split Senate representation. But in 2008, the two states couldn't have been much further apart, with Florida going for Obama by about 3 points and Tennessee going McCain by about 15 points.

Are the Gallup numbers just off? Hard to imagine given the large sample sizes. Maybe, for whatever reason, there are just a lot of Appalachian people who like to consider themselves Democrats going back to before LBJ, but just don't consider the Democratic party of today to be the same as the party they identify with?

I dunno, its a head scratcher for sure, and something that will likely cause great stress and anxiety for Democrats who puzzle over why the state keeps trending towards electing Republicans when the people obstensibly say they want Democrats.

See Also: Arkansas, which has a 50-35 Dem/Rep split and went for McCain by 20 points. West Virginia even more so. Of course, we know this isn't a race thing, that would be ridiculous, so what do you all think it might be?