Obama and Marsha

The President has a chat with Rep. Marsha Blackburn as she struggles to hang on to her props.

Democrats for Haslam?

We aren't there just yet, but unless Kim McMillan can pull a campaign out of her arse that has been nonexistent to date, the departure of Jim Kyle from the Governor's race makes the prospect ever so more appealing...from Kyle:

"After careful consideration and consultation with my family, I have decided that I will no longer be a candidate for Governor of Tennessee.

It is clear to me that while our campaign had the assets to be competitive in the Primary, the legislative fundraising restriction, the economy, and my duties as Senate Leader have severely hampered my ability to generate resources which would have been vital to our success in the general election. Our state faces unprecedented budget and funding issues that cannot wait for the next Governor, and I plan to devote all my energies to working with Governor Bredesen and my colleagues in the legislature to ensure that the best interests of all Tennesseans are placed first.

No endorsement of the front-runner, Son of Ned Ray, but I think you will start to feel a 2006 vibe all over again, where the party apparatus generally gets behind one candidate (McWherter) and a handful of bloggers and liberal activists support the female underdog (McMillan).

Kyle 2.0?

Sen. Kyle is making an announcement of some sort about his campaign for the Governorship. Some are speculating that this is Kyle dropping out of the race, others have speculated it may be a rebooting of the campaign type of press conference designed to get press attention with little new in the offering. If the latter is the case, I'm not sure why he'd pick a Friday afternoon to do that...

Saint Frist on Health Care

Sen. Bill Frist would like you to know that when he was Majority Leader, he didn't use the reconciliation procedure when he could have:

Budget reconciliation is an arcane Senate procedure whereby legislation can be passed using a lowered threshold of requisite votes (a simple majority) under fast-track rules that limit debate. This process was intended for incremental changes to the budget—not sweeping social legislation. [snip]

while I was serving as majority leader, Republicans used the reconciliation process to enact tax cuts. I was approached by members of my own caucus to use reconciliation to extend prescription drug coverage to millions of Medicare recipients. I resisted. The Congress considered the legislation under regular order, and the Medicare Modernization Act passed through the normal legislative procedure in 2003.

YAY! Clap...clap....clap. Of course, the situation is a touch different here. In 2003, SB 1 (Prescription Drug Benefit) didn't even require a cloture vote...Harry Reid just up and agreed to have a vote on the fucker. You know, comity and all that jazz. Now, granted, SB1 had Democratic supporters (because, Democrats by and large supported the idea of having a prescription drug benefit). Ultimately, the House passed a much more partisan measure, and the bill went to conference, where the GOP tinkered with it to the point of pissing off some Democrats.

So did the Democrats filibuster the conference report because they didn't like everything in it? Fucks no...sure there was a cloture vote called, but 22 Democrats voted to allow the Conference Report to come for an up-or-down vote, that included the Senate Minority Leader.

So, while Fristy wants to pat himself on the back for managing to pass a bill through regular procedures, its worth pointing out that he was able to do this because Democrats actually bargained and compromised in good faith...even when they were forced to vote on a package that wasn't 100%, or 90%, or even 60% to their liking, they still did the right thing and passed an inferior bill because it had some stuff in it they liked.

Fast forward to 2009 (now 2010) and the situation is a bit different. You have a GOP caucus that is thoroughly opposed to any sort of health care reform that involves regulation. Even on an idea that both sides support, allowing people to buy insurance across state lines, the GOP won't even bend to meet Democrats at a point where the Federal Government insures a basic minimum level of coverage so as to not setup a situation where health insurance companies pick the state with the least regulations and setup shop their to the detriment of all the other states.

The GOP is entirely unwilling to compromise on this issue. Its not the same as when Frist was leader and the prescription drug benefit was up for debate. So, if like Frist says, the reconciliation procedure was designed to limit debate, I think over one year of debate is probably adequate enough for both sides to have made their points.

Congress Doesn't Do Comprehensive

Sen. LAMAR! Alexander doesn't think that Congress is very good at doing the big things:

Alexander also made this interesting argument: Congress doesn't do a good job passing comprehensive bills -- health care, immigration, energy. "We don't do comprehensive well," he said. "They fall of their own weight. Our country is too big, too complicated, too decentralized…

I think its more accurate to say that the Senate doesn't do comprehensive...or well..anything at all very well. The House can pass a comprehensive bill, its the Senate rules, or the GOP abuse of them, that makes it harder to accomplish substantive goals in the US Senate.

The Brady Files

It appears that gun control is in the news again lately, for no other reason other than because there are highly paid people on both sides of the argument to keep pushing it.

First, The Brady Campaign came out with state-by-state rankings of states they deem to have good firearm safety laws. Some conservative bloggers cherry-picked the data to show a correlation between high Brady scores and high murder rates. But that conclusion is hardly born out in the data.

Mean homicide rate US: 4.29 per 100,000
Mean homicide rate top 20 Brady ranked states: 4.43
Mean homicide rate bottom 20 Brady ranked states: 5.04

State with the highest murder rate, Louisiana (8.84), got a 2 from Brady campaign.

State with the lowest murder rate, North Dakota (0.47), got a 9 from Brady campaign.

Essentially, its more or less a wash when it comes to gun control laws. They don't seem to particularly help or hurt a state. Texas, known for their gunslinging cowboy ways, has basically the same murder rate as California.

In other gun lobbyist related news, both the Brady Campaign AND the NRA thinks the President sucks. The Brady Campaign, because Obama has acted more in favor of guns than in opposition to them; the NRA, because despite whatever Obama does, he's still a Democrat who doesn't kiss their feet and beg for their support.

(h/t SayUncle)

Sacrifical Lamb Emerges

Still no word on a credible nominee for the 6th District seat held by Bart Gordon, but it looks like someone is going to attempt to get the requisite 25 signatures to get on the ballot as a Democrat in the 3rd district.

The State Should've Been Embarrassed

Some Nashville lawmakers are none too pleased with the prospect of beloved [sparsely attended and crappy] Tennessee State Fair held at the fairgrounds off of Wedgewood.

"I understand we're going through difficult times. I just don't want us to make a snap decision," State Rep. Mike Turner said. "I think the state fair should be in the state capital."

State Sen. Joe Haynes echoed Turner's desire to keep the fair in Nashville: "I, for one, would really miss it if it's gone," Haynes said. "A lot of what we do as a city is not profit-making. I hope somebody keeps that in mind."

It appears some companies are looking at the prospect of taking over the fair, which if they are willing to do without financial backing from the city or state, I say go for it. But in the case of the Tennessee State Fair, with what we had going, no fair is better than just any.

(h/t ACK)

A Sign of the Times

Listening to NPR this morning I heard a Senate Majority Leader who acted as giddy as a school girl at the fact that a few Republicans voted with him...on what in previous years would've been a routine procedural motion for a rather non-controversial amendment designed to give tax credits to small businesses. Yes, that is right, the Republicans have so perfected obstructionism that they've managed to get to a point where a Democratic Majority Leader has to be happy with five Republicans voting [yes on a procedural motion] in favor of tax cuts for small businesses.

The War on Smokers Part XXIV

Seriously, if you are going to make it such a hassle to manufacture, sell, and buy the things, why not just outlaw them already?

Come June, under the new federal tobacco law, cigarette companies will no longer be allowed to use words like “light” or “mild” on packages to imply that some cigarettes are safer than others.

But in a move that critics say simply skirts the new rules, tobacco companies plan to use packaging to make those same distinctions: light colors for light cigarettes.

[snip]

Last month, the agency published a notice that it could take action against colors like silver or pastels, as well as additional words like “silver,” “smooth” and “natural,” which some companies are still planning to use on cigarette packages. The notice sought public and industry comments, which are due Friday.

Jesus...OK, yes, Camel Lights may not be safer than Camels, but they do taste "lighter" or "smoother" or whatever other descriptive you'd like to come up with. And so here cigarette companies are willing to find alternatives to these words that retarded people think mean their cigarettes are less likely to kill them...and yet still people are gonna bitch about it. Marlboro has been color coding their packages for decades now, in fact so much so to the point that regular old Marlboro's are called "Marlboro Reds" by just about every damn smoker out there despite the fact that nowhere in the product label are they called "reds".

So, if you are going to allow people to manufacture and sell cigarettes with different flavor or strength profiles, throw them a freaking bone and allow their consumers to purchase the product they actually want. Otherwise, just ban them and get it over with.

(h/t SayUncle)

Second Time is a Charm?

Looks like Gary Odom has caught a challenger this year. Tim Lee, a Nashville Paramedic, is going to try once again to unseat the Democratic Leader of the House.

In 2008, Lee ran against Odom and lost by a 2-to-1 margin (pdf)...perhaps the spirit of Scott Brown will carry him all the way this year? Maybe, but he'll have to raise more than his rather meager sum of 2008 if he hopes to be successful.

(h/t ACK)

Dem Caucus Leader turner Speaks Out On Ben West Retirement

The leader of the Democratic Caucus, Mike Turner, wishes Ben West Jr. would stay, but wishes him all the best even if he doesn't:

“Today’s announcement allows us the opportunity to reflect on the career of service and accomplishments of my friend, Ben West. I know my friend is doing what he believes is the right thing to do for his family and his future. Ben West, Jr. has served this legislature with honor and respect these past 26 years, but also with a sense of brevity and humility.

Ben and I have talked often in the months since his surgery about the importance of family and making sure we make the most of the time we have on this planet. For over a quarter of a century Ben has given his life to the service of the people of the 60th District and state of Tennessee. He has been a part of a number of state reforms, helped balance budgets year after year, worked with Democrats and Republicans on countless bipartisan efforts, and served as a leader on the issues that matter most.

While I selfishly would like my friend to continue his work as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, I know in his heart he is making the right choice. I’m confident that the people of the 60th will elect a new representative who will have the same dedication and commitment to the Democratic values that Ben West, Jr. has shown for nearly three decades.

I, along with all the Caucus, wish our friend the best in his retirement and look forward to enjoying these last months with him as a member of the 106th General Assembly.”

Vanderbilt Writing Studio

Last night myself and a few other bloggers were asked to speak to an assortment of Vandy students and stragglers off the street about blogging. It was a good time and I appreciate the Studio for asking me to participate, but rather than recap the event, I'll let Aunt B do that for me.

On Blind Sponsorship...

The folks at Pith picked up on a Memphis TV spot about Sen. Ophelia Ford's return after an "undisclosed illness" kept her away from the legislature for a month after the start of the session. The piece focuses on her blind sponsorship of a few bills, including one to ban the sale of human breast milk (because its not pasteurized?).

Criticize Ford all you like for various things, but the act of sponsoring a bill just because someone brings it to you is part of the inevitable downside to the Legislature's format for filing bills, in that they all have to be in by the start of session (or shortly thereafter) in order to get heard. It leads to lots of bills with little substance to be placeholders for substitution amendments, and can be confusing for the average Tennessean trying to figure out what the fudge is happening down at the Capitol.

Potential Candidates Emerging?

Early word on the street is that there will be more than a few Democrats jumping in to fill Ben West's shoes in the upcoming primary. A couple of early names: Sam Coleman, two term councilman from the 32nd district representing Antioch, and Tommy Bradley, former Councilman for the 33rd district representing the Percy Priest Lake area and the seat currently held by Republican Robert Duvall.

Update:

Ken Whitehouse via Kleinheider confirms that Bradley has picked up papers and is considering a run for the 60th House seat.

Is There A Ben West III Out There?

Rep. Ben West Jr. had decided to call it quits and decline to run again for the 60th State House district. This leaves Democrats in a bit of a pickle in what was already shaping up to be a tough year in their effort to take back the House. No name readily comes to the forefront in terms of a Democratic heir apparent, but on the GOP side it looks like Metro Councilman Jim Gotto is looking to move on up in the world.

Bill Hobbs, over at Kleinheider's place, pointed out that the district is marginally democratic, having gone for Obama by a slim 52-48 margin. That was likely due to heavier than usual turnout in Wilhoite and Coleman's district...and all signs point to a much lighter African American turnout this year.

Update:

A few names pop up...

One Angry American

Earlier today a man, who will inevitably be described as mentally disturbed, crashed a plane into an IRS office building in Austin Texas. Hopefully, he's the only person who died in the attack, but he did leave a note, or rather a manifesto, describing the reasons for his actions. It would seem that this guy felt he'd been screwed over by the tax system, and by big-corporate capitalism, his entire life. The strange thing about reading this note is that the guy makes what would seem to be valid points, though none of which justify his actions, and doesn't really seem all that batshit crazy, as you might expect for someone who offs himself by plunging a plane into an IRS office.

(h/t ACK)

Will LAMAR! Be Number One?

Didn't vote for Lamar in the last election? Well, here's your chance to vote for him now...in a competition with Jack Kingston and Paul Ryan for biggest hypocrite.

State Senate Tries To Ban Medicare

The State Senate, fed up with a federal program which forcibly taxes citizens for health care services 40+ years before they are eligible to use it, has declared that the Federal Government no longer has jurisdiction in Tennessee and that "the public policy of this state, consistent with our constitutionally recognized and inalienable rights of liberty, is that every person within this state is and shall be free to choose or decline to choose any mode of securing health care services without penalty or threat of penalty."

So Mae Beavers and Beth Harwell think that Medicare (or at least the tax system which pays for it) should be illegal in Tennessee. After all, you don't have a choice in whether or not your employer takes out the taxes to pay for it...and most insurance companies wouldn't cover 100% of your medical coverage if you are over 65 and the Federal Government already has an insurance policy for you.

So, assuming the House passes this, I see no way around the Attorney General having to file a lawsuit against the Federal Government seeking to ban Medicare in our state.

I'm So Busy I Barely Had Time To Write This Letter to the Editor

I get it, blogs (especially of the personal variety) can seem like a bit of self-indulgence or promote an air of unwarranted self-importance...but how is that different from writing the Tennessean to say this:

I consider myself to be a very exciting person, but I’m so busy being interesting that I don’t even have time to blog about it. Maybe there is not so much wrong with blogging as with the fact that all the wrong people are doing it. They are the people that have so little going on in their lives that they get on a computer daily and write about senseless topics and post pictures that only they and their mothers would enjoy.

Maybe this woman was being sarcastic, but I'm guessing she doesn't see the irony in her sitting down to write the Tennessean to talk about how so much of her time is consumed with being interesting that she doesn't have time to blog about it.

(h/t ACK)

The Art (or something like that) of Blogging

This Thursday the Vanderbilt Writing Studio is having a forum on blogging. They've asked myself, Adam Gold, and Yvonne Smith to pontificate on the matter. The event is open to the public, so if you wanna hear me ramble on about how kids these days are destroying blogging with their damned Twitter, this is your chance:

Ummmm...Brad Ellsworth?

So, Evan Bayh, ever the team player, decided to call it quits and not run again for the US Senate. He says he's doing it because the Senate process is broken:

“Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed, but seven members who had endorsed the idea instead voted ‘no’ for short-term political reasons,” he said.

“Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create jobs — the public’s top priority — fell apart amid complaints from both the left and right. All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress.”

So, Republicans are some backstabbing SOB's and because of this you are going to essentially hand them your Senate seat? Great. Democrats now have four days to find a potential replacement for Bayh before the filing deadline on February 19th. Maybe Birch Bayh will come out of retirement and do what his son is evidently incapable of? Other than that, it would seem that Congressman Brad Ellsworth of the Evansville area might be the best shot at Democrats retaining the seat, but either way it'll be a long shot.

(h/t ACK)

Just Defeat It

Earlier today, the State Senate took the rare step of voting down a pointless memorial resolution to honor former Elvis Presley son-in-law, Michael Jackson.

Of those casting no votes was one surprising name, Andy Berke, who is probably one of the few members of the State Senate to embrace the "Gansta Rap" genre. I guess MJ just wasn't hard core enough...

Senators voting aye were: Barnes, Burks, Harper, Haynes, Kyle, Marrero, Tate -- 7.

Senators voting no were: Beavers, Berke, Burchett, Johnson, McNally, Tracy, Watson -- 7.

Senators present and not voting were: Bunch, Crowe, Henry, Jackson, Kelsey, Ketron, Norris, Stewart, Yager, Mr. Speaker Ramsey -- 10.

Its Like The Yellow Ribbon, But You're Actually Supporting the Troops

The group Support our Troops is trying to get together the requisite 1,100 applications for license plates, of which 50% of the future proceeds will go to the organization which purports to send care packages to US soldiers. In order to get the program off the ground, they are offering to pony up the initial $35 to get the plate, and you'll pay $35 each year after that.

So, if that yellow ribbon sticker is getting a bit dingy, and you actually want to support the troops, this seems to be a reasonable way to do it.

(more about what the group does here)

Meet Your Next Governor...

Bill Haslam kicks off the 2010 Gubernatorial ad wars with a soft spot focusing on his life story and accomplishments up until this point. Its non-partisan, and non-ideological, and so it begs the question as to whether he takes his primary competition seriously, or if he just plans on running the same message throughout the entire campaign.

Emperor Nero's Revenge

Flashback, Mid-1st Century, The Island of Patmos off of Greece. A preacher, by the name of John, writes some letters to a few churches in Turkey outlining his vision for the near future. He, like many early Christians, has a burning hatred for the Roman Empire, but because one must be careful in expressing this burning hatred in letter form for fear of being tattled on, they bust out with some Jewish tricks of the trade which supplant numbers for letters. So, hence, the Emperor at the time, Nero, gets the number 666 (or possibly 616)...sort've the 1st century version of an inside joke.

Fastforward, Early 21st Century, Nashville Tennessee. A woman who has no real business being in the State House of Representatives, and even less business being in the State Senate, authors some legislation outlawing certain uses for a new form of technology out of fear that some guy living in a cave off the coast of Greece some 2000 years ago somehow had a vision about how this technology would one day be used.

Basically, Susan Lynn takes what could be a fruitful and important discussion of civil liberties in the age of new technologies, throws in some seriously skewed and historically inaccurate interpretations of the Bible, throws it in a blender, and out pours a bill (HB2029) to ban all uses of technological implants in the near future. Eddie Bass, in a committee meeting on the matter, takes note of some of the benefits of RFID implants in humans:

It's hard to argue with that, but Rep. Eddie Bass did it today during a House subcommittee meeting. Bass pointed out that radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, the data-storing microchips that we're talking about here, could serve a lot of useful purposes--helping keep track of Alzheimer's patients or sex offenders, for instance. And Bass wondered whether it's a good idea to outlaw these uses.

Now, this bill ain't all bad. The basic premise of requiring consent before the Government injects a tracking chip to log the amount of time you spend on city sidewalks is probably a good thing...but it also bans anyone under the age of 18 from getting a similar chip implanted, even with parental consent. I could think of various reasons why a parent might want this kind of protection for their child, for instance, is the child has a mental disability and has a habit of wandering off.

Strangely, it also prohibits such markers on corpses...I guess if they get a tracking chip implanted post-death then when Jesus comes down a ridin' his fiery chariot those dead folks won't get a one way ticket to the upper-atmosphere.

What Totalitarianism Looks Like

Fabian Bedne over at Hispanic Nashville gives a rundown of what living in a real totalitarian environment looks like and concludes:

Every day, extremist ideologues try to portray our democracy as a dictatorship, and this is something very frightening to a lot of people. But the fact that they can do that, that they can make this sort of claim is the ultimate proof that we don't live in one. If we did live in, let's say, Cuba - or the Argentina of my youth - they will be afraid of ending up like the hundreds of journalists who died or were tortured for speaking truth to power all over the world.

To describe our democracy as a totalitarian regime insults the lives and memories of people that live under this and other terrible conditions. It insults them, it insults us.

What Corporations Say When Allowed To Speak...

...apparently they say, "Hey, fuck you Democrats and your "consumer protection" laws...gimme Scott Brown!"

Seriously, an association of debt collectors is lauding their "unprecedented" effort to get Scott Brown elected because with Coakley we might've had the "threat" of a "Consumer Financial Protection Agency".

(h/t DK)

Anonymous Insider To Leave Bredesen Administration

A Democratic insider, who wishes to remain anonymous, is leaving the Bredesen administration to work for Bill Frist's education initiative in the advocacy department.

Tennessee's Birther Hall of Fame

The TNDP is trying to get in on birther madness (I thought that movement had died out last summer?) by holding a contest for the Most Valuable Birther.

You'd think that this conspiracy theory would stay on the fringe - but no, the mainstream of the Republican Party has embraced it, seeking any way to smear our President. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has joined Stacey Campfield and Marsha Blackburn in publicly questioning whether our President is a citizen of our county.

But we can fight back. Vote with your dollars for who you think is the most outrageous birther in Tennessee, and your contribution will go towards making sure they get turned out of office.

Update: POTUS makes crack about people challenging his citizenship...

The Brandon's Brigade Strikes Again!

Jeff Woods, over at Pith, has the "inside scoop" on an effort by Mary Mancini and Won Choi to spread their "moonbeam" madness all around the state and mount an insurrection against the TNDP!

"The move to form this group is definitely motivated by anti-Chip sentiment," one source says. "Won Choi and Mary Mancini are the driving force behind it. They've become disillusioned with Chip because he doesn't do everything they tell him to do."

More from this insider: "Mary and Won are thoroughly convinced that Tennessee is filled with throngs of Rachel-Maddow-loving lefties that are just looking for someone to lead them out of the wilderness. Of course, Won and Mary view themselves as the moonbeam Moses."

OK, so we have a Democratic "insider" who refers to all liberals as moonbeams...so, in other words, we have a guy who works for Bredesen, in all likelihood Will Pinkston*, trying to foment discontent within the party the same way they did back when Forrester was elected party chair.

According to Woods' insider, Forrester's TNDP was doomed, couldn't raise money, wouldn't ever get the time of day of any Democrats in Tennessee. Since then, we've had the most successful Jackson Day in TNDP history, and have a $150K+ advantage over the TNGOP which is operating in the red. Obviously, the "Chip can't run the party or fundraising meme" got shot to shit, so now they're moving on to other avenues of attack.

So, when a group of liberals get together to form a group (and there are about 5 billion Democratic groups in Tennessee other than the TNDP) designed to help promote Democratic principles/candidates in Tennessee, these "insiders" see it as a chance to drive another wedge. Or maybe, because they don't have fuckall for principles and couldn't give a damn about the party beyond their potential to get a cushy "consulting" job after Bredesen leaves office, they assume everyone has self-interested and/or hatred-motivated reasons for everything they do.

*Update: Apparently, Will Pinkston will no longer be working with the Governor.

Well That's Retarded

Apparently, the Shriver family is to mentally disabled people what Jesse Jackson is to black people; an unappointed figurehead for whom all apologies for careless word choices uttered must be funneled through.

WaPo and Abstinence Only Education

Rob Stein with the Washington Post published an article today which touts a "new" study which seems to reveal that Abstinence Only education can be more effective than safe-sex programs. According to some, this is a game changer:

"This new study is game-changing," said Sarah Brown, who leads the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "For the first time, there is strong evidence that an abstinence-only intervention can help very young teens delay sex and reduce their recent sexual activity as well."

Just one problem here...this study is anything but new. The study was completed in 2004, and released to a World AIDS conference in 2006.

Now, maybe they have some grand new formula for teaching abstinence-only programs, but this same Professor back in 1998 did a similar study which found different results; "Our finding that the safer-sex intervention curbed unprotected sexual intercourse, whereas the abstinence intervention did not, suggests that if the goal is reduction of unprotected sexual intercourse, the safer-sex strategy may hold the most promise".

Now, perhaps the facts on the ground has changed...I'm not entirely sure, and the 2004 study doesn't appear to be available to the public (unless you wanna pay a fee). But before we go changing the education system based on a single study that contradicts a previous, nearly identical study, perhaps we oughta take into consideration that we are dealing with groups of about 200 kids each, from one city, and the kids, their parents, along with the person teaching the class, can have an affect on the outcome.

Democrats Introduce "Add More Powder To The Keg" Bill To Reduce Spending

Democrats Doug Jackson and Larry Tidwell are the masterminds behind a bill that seeks to reduce state spending by cutting back from three meals a day to two.

Now, I can see the allure of this. One, people in jail are typically felons who can't vote...so it ain't like you're losing their vote. Two, why should criminals get three full meals a day when many law-abiding citizens have to subsist on ramen noodles?

But the problem with this approach is two-fold.

One, sure, skipping a breakfast here and there is probably OK for most people, but when your food is carefully rationed out each and every day, reducing the calorie-content by a third is a significant hit to the system for most people...increasing the strain on the medical personnel who'd have to evaluate each person's diet, perhaps requiring more on-staff dietitians, to ensure the State isn't causing undue harm to the prisoners.

Two, I don't know about you, but I'm cranky when I don't get breakfast or am really hungry. Generally, this results in my being somewhat short...for a fucking convicted murderer, this might result in them being more likely to stab someone in the throat with a filed down toothbrush, thus increasing the strain on medical personnel (and perhaps endangering the guards).

All things considered, are we really going to save all that much annually by cutting out a meal a day? Is it worth increasing hostility in an already hostile environment? If so, what next, kill air-conditioning? Increase room occupancy?

Hows about we let the prison officials determine what steps can be taken to reduce costs before we go making decisions that could harm the lives of state employees?

Department of Things I'll Never Understand

Despite what is perceived to be a bad environment for Democrats, Tennessee still polls as a Democratic leaning state, with the same numbers in 2009 as they had in 2008 according to Gallup. In fact, out of 50 states and the District of Columbia, Tennessee is one of only 11 states to remain the same or move more favorably towards Democrats; 40 other states shifted in favor of Republicans or Independents.

Of course, Tennessee had that +5 rating in 2008 when Republicans won the House, increased leads in the Senate, and blew out for McCain, so obviously a lead in Democratic ID does not add up to an automatic winning formula.

Why Wine in Grocery Stores Won't Happen

Money talks...and the liquor wholesalers opposed to changing our arcane liquor laws are speaking very loudly in opposition to changing how consumers purchase their fermented grape juice in Tennessee.

According to reports released today, the WSWT POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE (liquor wholesalers) spread around $87K to politicians around the state, most going to Democrats. The biggest recipients being...

Mike McWherter - $7,500
Jim Kyle - $7,500
Ron Ramsey - $7,500
Curry Todd - $4,000
House/Senate Democratic Caucus - $2,500
Lowe Finney - $2,000
Doug Henry - $1,000
Mary Pruitt - $500

and various others. The Red White and Food Voters PAC raised all of their money from donations of $100 or less, but that resulted in less than $3K, which was split between Bill Ketron and David Shepard.

Ultimately, the money in this state is definitely behind keeping the status quo in our liquor laws, and unless some state legislators have the integrity to buck their benefactors in favor of their constituents, change ain't a comin' anytime soon.

Steve Turner Outraises Incumbent

While his report is not up on the web yet, I checked in with Steven Turner who is running against Mary Pruitt for the Democratic nomination in the 58th House district.

According to Turner, his campaign raised $15,980 in the past 6 months, which is more than double the take of his opponent, Mary Pruitt, who raised a little over $6,700, nearly all of which came from PACs.

In terms of cash on hand, Pruitt's previous balance still has her in the lead, though with the fundraising freeze in effect, Turner has every chance in the coming months to overtake her.

The Money Game

Today the end of the year financial reports are trickling in from candidates seeking a state office here in Tennessee. One of the races to watch this year is the District 21 Democratic primary between Doug Henry and Jeff Yarbro. According to the reports, Henry and Yarbro were neck-and-neck in terms of contributions raised by January 15th; with Henry reporting $119,970 and Yarbro banking $113,997 (though he is reporting he raised an additional $27K after the 15th cutoff).

But in terms of cash on hand, the incumbent far exceeds Yarbro thanks to a $200,000 loan he made to himself via Suntrust bank. All told, Yarbro showed a $104K COH balance at the end of the 15th reporting period, while Henry had $320K in the bank. Luckily for Yarbo, Henry is now precluded from fundraising so long as the legislature is in session, which will give him time to catch up and narrow the money gap.