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From a press release: "We are confident that the citizens of Nashville will join dozens of other cities across the country that already have chosen to make English the official language of government operations. And we are pleased that ProEnglish played a key role in giving them the opportunity to make that choice," says ProEnglish Executive Director K.C. McAlpin. ProEnglish is "the nation's leading advocate of official English" who works "work through the courts and in the court of public opinion to defend English's historic role as America's common, unifying language." One of their guiding principles is: "All candidates for U.S. citizenship should be required to demonstrate knowledge of English and an understanding of our system of government, at a level sufficient to vote in the language of our country English." As far as I know, speaking English is already a requirement for citizenship. UPDATE: When even the local Chamber of Commerce doesn't agree and instead takes the "progressive" point of view, it's a pretty good signal that you're on the wrong side of the issue. ( categories: )
FDR signed Social Security into law on Aug. 14 1935. Read what John McCain thinks about Social Security at KnoxViews... ( categories: )
President Bush and the McCain campaign are beating a dead horse these days and it is called the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They want you to believe that we must squeeze the last bits of oil out of the earth, wherever we can find it, and we need to start right here at home by destroying our last remaining wild refuge and devastating our coastal wetlands in the name of boosting corporate oil profits. The right wing echo chamber has taken up the cause celeb, and candidates across the country can be heard ringing the bells of freedom for the global oil market. ( categories: )
This week marks the 63rd anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the civilian populations of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On August 9th, 1945 at 11:01am the United States of America dropped a nuclear bomb on a pre-designated city in Japan killing 80,000 people in the second of two nuclear attacks. This attack was the only time that nuclear weapons have been used as an instrument of war, and it could be the last, if we generate the political will to dismantle our weapons of mass destruction, abide by the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and create a federal level department of peace. At the time of the bombing the United States only had two nuclear weapons in its arsenal but since that time our stockpile of nuclear weapons has mushroomed to nearly six thousand weapons. Fortunately we have not used these weapons since then, but the only guarantee that they will never be used is if they do not exist. As tempting as it is to believe that we are a moral nation that would never use such terrible instruments of destruction, the fact is that we have used them and we can use them again if our military or elected leaders believe the situation justifies it. That is why it is more important than ever to dismantle weapons of mass destruction. ( categories: )
The Iraqi Parliament wants the US out of Iraq, and they have made it clear in a recent letter which called for US troops to be removed. The United States doesn't seem quite so inclined to oblige. Recently we learned that the Bush administration was engaged in secret negotiations to establish fifty military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors for an indefinite period of time. The congress must remain engaged and not give in to pressure from the military industrial complex or current administration officials from both sides of the aisle. If we are ever to step out of this quagmire there must be broad resolve by the American people to bring the troops home and close down the military bases. ( categories: )
In the morning-after glow of the news that VW will bring 2000 jobs to Chattanooga (at an estimated taxpayer cost of $500 million that we know about), Nissan has announced they are cutting 6,000 jobs in the state. I can't recall, how much did taxpayers pony up to get those Nissan plants here? And there's no word about management cutbacks at the Nissan US HQ which relocated to Nashville after receiving more taxpayer funded incentives. In the immortal words of Crash Davis, "Some days you win, some days you lose, and some days it rains." ( categories: )
The "Fahrvergnügen because it's a funny word" edition of the Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about this week • 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Fahrvergnügen! (a comprehensive roundup of VW Chattanooga news) • Tiny Cat Pants: As we all know, Bill Hobbs is on his great crusade to defund Planned Parenthood and instead move all that money into government-run services, because the TNGOP loves government-run healthcare, except when it’s proposed by Democrats. • BlountViews: Finney or Overbey? Who does a progressive support? PLUS: Lazy election coverage • Carole Borges: New Yorker loses its sense of humor • The Crone Speaks: It seems that when doctors themselves stop accepting insurance, their patients get better care at a more reasonable cost. • Cup Of Joe Powell: A blistering editorial on 1st District Congressman David Davis by the Editorial Board of the Bristol Herald Courier is out today and makes some excellent points: BONUS: Coffee War AND: Camera Obscura: Batmania (and more) • Don Williams: Al Gore’s daring challenge -- an ‘Apollo program’ to save the Earth • Tennessee Democratic Party Blog: The Associated Press released an article today explaining how a 30% increase in voter turnout for Obama in the black community could swing the South, including Tennessee, into the blue column. • Enclave: It's clear to me from this research that if you want a stronger economy that includes job creation, you have to run with Democratic Presidents. All of the conservative campaign rhetoric that moderate-leaning-left administrations will destroy American jobs is unsubstantiated in this research. • Fletch: Seagull Contrail PLUS: Still Life • KnoxViews: You can look up your bank or credit union at the following links to a) make sure they are insured, and b) check their financial statements and ratio reports, which are a quick snapshot of their performance. PLUS: John McCain posting on his blog. AND: Clinton (and Edwards) should be on the ballot in Denver • Lean Left: Massachusetts is now in the process of repealing the racist and obsolete law that Mitt Romney invoked to continue to limit marriage rights for gays after the state legislature removed the overt bar to marriage in the law. • Left Wing Cracker: Endorsements • Liberadio(!): Leave Robin Smith Alone! • The Pesky Fly: Atrios wonders why the image of the burning twin towers is seen by Republicans as a powerful image of their strength and resolve. • Progressive Nashville: Tennessee could save nearly six dollars in health care costs for every dollar spent on prevention according to a new study by the Trust for American Health. PLUS: Glass Houses AND: TNGOP Declares Victory in Iraq • Resonance:: What will it take to instill in our elected leaders a sufficient sense of urgency to act? $160/barrel oil? $180? $200? Whatever it is, it will come too late. • RoaneViews: Lincoln's Republican opponent, Whatshisname, doesn't live in our district and won't be our next Congressman. • Russ McBee: Not surprisingly, the EPA intends to stonewall the issue long enough to avoid taking any action until after Bush leaves office; nevertheless, it's astonishing that the EPA has finally dropped its hostility to nearly universal scientific consensus. PLUS: The phantom promise of offshore drilling • Nashville for the 21st Century: Congress-stakes: If A) Obama wins, and B) he offers Cooper a cabinet position, and C) he accepts...who would run for the open seat? I'll throw out some potential candidates, and follow with a poll. PLUS: Will Pelosi and Dean Block Hillary at Convention?: The DNC can't and won't change the rules so that only Barack Obama's name can be thrown out there. • Sharoncobb: Oh. You Have To See/Hear What Larry Craig Just Said: Oh Dear Lord. No one could make this stuff up. Here's what Larry Craig just said, and it's captured on tape: • Silence Isn't Golden Netroots Nation dispatches here, here, here, and here. BONUS: You are so Nashville if... • Southern Beale: Okay, kids, it’s time for that wacky new game: Elitist: Yes or No? PLUS: Memory Holes • Tennessee Guerilla Women: Sounds good. Except for the fact that for weeks now the media has been reporting that Hillary's name on the ballot is not assured, rather the question will be determined by negotiations between the Clinton and Obama camps. PLUS: Breaking MSNBC Political News: Hillary Clinton Has a New Hairdo! • TennViews: Voters say more focus needed on children's issues PLUS: Tennessee Senate 8th • WhitesCreek Journal: Republican Chair Robin Smith is a symptom of what is so wrong with our political process. There is a deep dishonesty in her half of the process and a willingness to let it slide on the part of most news media, and a massive double standard that examines Democratic candidates in minute detail but lets republican candidates get by with slanderous conduct. PLUS: Species Count for Whites Creek • Women’s Health News: HHS Attempts to Define Contraception as Abortion PLUS: Open letter to Obama:: I’d also like a pledge to not put anti-science, anti-woman yahoos in charge of, you know, science and women.
A recent survey by the Every Child Matters Education Fund found that voters want presidential candidates to focus more on children's issues, including 13 million in poverty, eight million without insurance, and three million reported abused or neglected. The ECMEF's "Homeland Insecurity" report shows that Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, New Mexico and Nevada are consistently at or near the very bottom on key child well-being indicators, while other states such as Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Dakota and Washington state fare better but still fall far short of the top G8 nations in the health and safety of children. Among the findings: • 82 percent, including 95 percent of Democrats, 65 percent of Republicans and 86 percent of Independents, are concerned about "a recent report from the international group UNICEF (that) ranked children in the U.S. as nearly the worst off in the industrial world". • Overall, 79 percent of voters say they would provide greater resources for health care for uninsured children. Large majorities of Obama's (93 percent) and McCain's voters (60 percent) would support greater funding as would 77 percent of swing voters, the only item where a majority of both sides agree needs more funding. • A quarter of registered voters could not give any response when asked about Obama's and McCain's strengths on children's issues. Over a third (34 percent) of all voters, and 46 percent of swing voters, were unable to identify things Obama has promised to do for children and families if elected President. Nearly half (48 percent) of all voters, and 57 percent of swing voters, could not answer the same question about McCain. • Majorities of all voters (57 percent) and swing voters (61 percent) find investments in children's health, education, and safety a higher priority than tax cuts. When compared to balancing the budget, 49 percent of all voters and 53 percent of swing voters find investments in children a higher priority. • Two thirds of all voters, including 84 percent of Democrats, 42 percent of Republicans and 66 percent of Independents, say they would be willing to pay more in federal taxes to help level the playing field for all American children. ( categories: )
We caught up with Remote Area Medical just as they were loading out from this weekend's expedition in Blount County. Ron Brewer, Director of Tennessee Operations for Remote Area Medical, recaps the free clinic for uninsured and underinsured: If you would like to help Remote Area Medical bring free medical, dental, and ophthalmology services to America's working poor, uninsured, and underinsured, you can make a donation here. Previous KnoxViews discussion here. ( categories: )
The "saluting a mentally deficient nation of whiners without a FISA warrant" edition of the Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about this week. • 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Phil Gramm, the author of John McCain's economic policies, the man who brought us the Enron loophole, which in turn has led to $4.00+/gallon gasoline, the man who probably doesn't have a friend with a net worth under a million dollars, thinks that Americans who have lost their jobs, who can't decide whether to buy a prescription, a tank of gas, or a week's worth of food with their last $60 for the month, who have been forced out of their homes by a mortgage crisis that Gramm created -- that these people are just a bunch of whiners who can't get past a mental disorder that makes them only think that they are suffering economic hardships. Seriously. Take a moment to really absorb that. • Tiny Cat Pants: 287(g) Means Stealing Babies from Mothers • BlountViews: Willie Nelson cancels PLUS (IMPORTANT): Allman Bros., Please!: Please vote for the Allman Bros. here. • Carole Borges: It's 3 A.M.. What if McCain can't even remember where the phone is? • The Crone Speaks: So, it’’s important to note that when the people that have been harmed by the current economy, that was spurred by Phil Gramm’s legislative blunders, they get little help. When Bear Stearns cries, the Fed bails them out. • Cup Of Joe Powell: A peek at Kingsport Times-News reporter Hank Hayes' email on why he does not cover Democrat candidates for Congress..., plus: Kingsport Newspaper Still Refuses Coverage of Candidate Rob Russell, bonus: Mega-Micro-Blog-Feed-Mobile-Alert-Pod Nation • Don Williams: But he was much more than that -- author, artist, hunter, trapper, fisherman, farmer, developer, columnist, merchant, musician, yodeler, storyteller, botanist, broadcaster, poet, husband, father, seeker, dreamer and prophet -- and still more yet. For once you tramp around in the body of lore that falls under the name Wiley Oakley, you encounter variations on a theme that boil down to this: Wiley was a part of these mountains. • TNDP: Sen. Diane Black needs a coat • Enclave: According to Forbes, Nashville cannot compete with peer cities like Charlotte, N.C. in providing unemployment benefits to jobless workers who qualify for federal aid. • Fletch: Summer on the Salt Run • KnoxViews: Harold Ford Jr. responds to Gramm's "nation of whiners" remark • Lean Left: That makes my cost basis on that account $1,075. As of today, the balance in that account is $1,203.13, a profit of $128.13, and an ROI of 11.9%. Considering the age of the account (ten years), that makes my annual yield a whopping 1.1%! • Left of the Dial: I’m trying to determine which group has me shaking my head more this week: iPhone fanatics, villagers and tourists running with the bulls in Pamplona or my Baltimore Orioles. • LeftWingCracker: So, on that basis, whom would I rather see in that seat? Well, since A) I believe Blackburn should have gone to jail for inciting the near-riots surrounding the income-tax vote in the State Senate, and B) she is a Bush-Cheney parrot, and C) she lives in that most right-wing county, Williamson, I would go for Leatherwood. • Newscoma: Sen. Gramm, let me ask you sir, could you come over here to northwest Tennessee? I can show you about seven empty plants, downtowns with more closed businesses than open ones and -- awww, forget about it. You don’t get it. I understand that. Plus: I Want Immunity Too • The Pesky Fly: Headlines to Remember: Bush Readies Pen; Relishes Signing Wiretap Bill • Progressive Nashville: I suppose that now that I've mentioned Hobb's name here, he officially is a Progressive. Time to resign Bill, Progressives have no place on the GOP payroll. Plus: Alexander vs. McCain on Pork • Brian Arner's Resonance: Bush Administration: You Are Worth $1 Million Less Than You Were Five Years Ago - Accelerated depreciation? Plus: Fortune ponders the doomsday scenario of Fannie Mae and/or Freddie Mac folding. I smell a massive, taxpayer-funded rescue in the air. • RoaneViews: Whites Creek is Closed for Maintenance: There are several rare, threatened, and endangered species of various sorts living in and around Whites Creek. We'll have underwater cameras and other cameras and will try to document everything and report back on what these folks find. • Russ McBee: However, there may be one silver lining in all this: now that the telecommunications companies no longer face lawsuits for their (previously) illegal actions, they can be subpoenaed to testify before Congress in depth about their spying activities against Americans. Since they have immunity, they can no longer plead the Fifth when asked pointed, specific questions about their collusion. • Sean Braisted: get that people are upset with this, but c'mon, the death of the 4th amendment? Setting aside telecom immunity, what is so damned bad about this bill? Plus: Diane Black Getting Nervous • Sharon Cobb: I could deal with his move to the middle to get elected. I could deal with him not having the best health plan. But voting FOR FISA? No. I can't deal with that. ... You can go ahead and tell me "I told you so," but out of compassion, please wait a day or two to do so. Plus: It was only a matter of time before the election to see which side was going to put the fear of war into American voters so they might elect a warmonger instead of a peacemaker. This is going to be big news later on today, because it's just breaking now, and I had to go to Aljazeera English website for the information, as CNN is running something about Madonna. • Silence Isn't Golden: And wouldn't you know it, Troy King also happens to be the Alabama chairman of the John McCain campaign. This whole scandal is just way too perfect! Plus: Joe Lieberman Admits He's A Lying Schmuck • Southern Beale: By the way: is this elitist? Because I can’t tell anymore. I think these kind of statements are only elitist if a Democrat says them. It certainly shows how out of touch Phil Gramm is from the lives of ordinary Americans. Plus: McCain’s Free Pass: That teflon suit that George W. Bush has worn for the past seven years has been handed down to John McCain 100% intact. • Tennessee Guerilla Women: If you can believe it, Obama adulator Andrew Sullivan recently suggested that the Barack Obama campaign is "far too cocky for its own good." Like many conservatives, Sullivan, expert on the subject of self-absorption, is occasionally worth listening to. • TennViews: TN Senate Dem fundraising update Plus: Sen. Finney to launch "family friendly" lobbying effort: It doesn't say whether same-sex couples will be welcome, or whether the group will lobby for adoptions by same-sex couples , or promote marriage or at least equal rights for same-sex couples, etc. • WhitesCreek Journal: Rich people, corporations, and foreign governments, are the folks who would lose Trillions of dollars is Fannie and Freddie go into bankruptcy. Having already doubled the National debt by borrowing more money than all 42 presidents that came before him, George W. Bush and his Republican buddies look like they will double it again, in one form or another, trying to keep Rich people, Corporations, and FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS from losing a lot of money. Plus: Whites Creek Journal is really about the largest unpolluted watershed in the State of Tennessee, outside the Smokies...And the struggle to keep it that way. • Women’s Health News: I don’t care about legal status - I think it’s better for all women, legal immigrants or not, to receive prenatal care than not to - at least to have the option. This event sends a message to the community of immigrant women that there will be no discretion, no compassion, that they risk being jailed, giving birth in custody, and having their baby taken away if they take the simple step of seeking medical care while pregnant.
State Sen. Raymond Finney recently announced a new network that would team volunteer constituents from across the state with legislatures to create laws that are friendly to families. The article explains that Finney's definition of family will be inclusive, and that singles and older couples with grown children won't be excluded. It doesn't say whether same-sex couples will be welcome, or whether the group will lobby for adoptions by same-sex couples , or promote marriage or at least equal rights for same-sex couples, etc. What do you think? ( categories: )
The Democratic National Committee and Barack Obama want to involve America in developing the Democratic National Platform. The public is invited to a series of community platform meetings in all 50 states, and the DNC will provide policy experts wherever they can. Here is the 2004 Democratic National Platform. Have we made progress on these issues? Or do we have to first get a Democrat in the White House and 60 Democratic votes in the Senate? More details in the presser after the jump... ( categories: )
The "let freedom ring" edition of the Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about this week. But first... SPECIAL BONUS: The progressive blog roundup made the paper in this Sunday editorial section column by Michael Silence: To the best of my knowledge, it is the strongest, or most active, coalition of bloggers in the state dealing with issues and politics. On the right side of the aisle, I'm not aware of any group blogging as widespread as the one at tennviews.com. We now resume our (ir)regularly scheduled program... • 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Because what is more patriotic...: ... than being 110% heterosexual? Aunt B: The Three Best Inventions: I mean, we talk a great game as a country about how families need men. But, if we’re not raising men with basic understandings of stuff, like history, like baseball, like what to do with yourself other than get into trouble, then what benefit are they to a family, really? • BlountViews: In fact, Judge Meares is part of a growing nationwide movement for judicial campaign finance reform, led by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor who is campaigning for massive changes to the way judges get elected. • Carole Borges: Dear Keith Olbermann, please put your ego back in the box.: I have always liked Keith Olbermann's snarky, edgy political take on the mad mad world of politics, but lately his ego seems to be getting so large it is blotting out the good points he often makes. • The Crone Speaks: Is Rush Limbaugh Worth $50 Million a year?: Seriously, this family is the poster child of everything that is wrong for the "little people" under Republican control of government, and they never saw it. Why? Because they were sucked into the rhetoric of Rush’s rhetoric. See also: Rats Fleeing the Sinking Ship • Cup Of Joe Powell: Tennessee's Official Rockabilly Highway: Tennessee now has an official Rockabilly Highway, thanks to efforts of those in the state legislature. On Friday, officials unveiled the signs which will now mark a 55-mile stretch of Highway 45, from Mississippi to Interstate 40. See also: The Power of Clothes • Don Williams: On Barack Obama and ‘the art of the possible’: So how does Obama repay you? He does the utterly predictable thing and steps down off the pedestal you put him on, and so you feel all betrayed. • TNDP: Lamar Alexander fails to follow through on Environmental Policies: A self-proclaimed champion of the environment, calling it one of his "passions", Lamar’s pitiful voting record is revealed as the article garners comments from the League of Conservation Voters. • Enclave: Local Community Not Waiting for Federal Government to Address Mortgage Crisis: I don't see anyone in Metro Nashville making these kinds of plans. We would rather subsidize our mildly supported hockey team. And, God knows, the first thing a family whose adjustable rate mortgage has just rocketed skyward wants to do is to catch a Predators' match. See also: Liberal blog readers... • Fletch: Barefoot on the Beach • KnoxViews (Doug McDaniel): Iraq Veterans Say Wes Clark is Correct: As a veteran (Desert Storm) myself, I get cranky when Democrats tuck tail on issues related to the military. As Brandon Friedman states eloquently on the Vote Vets blog, there is no reason to cede authority on military matters just because of John McCain's service during Vietnam. See also: Republican essay contest, and Puppy mill raid update • Lean Left: "If Waterboarding Does Not Constitute Torture, Then There Is No Such Thing as Torture": Probably quite a lot of people would smile at the thought of Christopher Hitchens being tortured by agents of the insane and illegal war he cheered into being. It is tempting to view it as ironic justice. • Left of the Dial: Pyro Mania: Over 1,100 people bought tickets for a train ride to downtown for the city’s annual display along the Riverfront but the train only holds 750. That left many waiting at stations in Lebanon and Hermitage as a full train blew past them. And they’re pissed: • LeftWingCracker: OK Tennessee Democrats, it's time to bring your focus back home for a minute!: We are five weeks and one day from the actual election, and two weeks and two days from the start of Early Voting in Big Shelby, and almost THREE in FIVE Democratic voters have not made up their mind?? Whatcha waitin' on, folks, CHRISTMAS??? • Liberadio(!): Who Killed Estelle Richardson?: The Davidson County Medical examiner ruled her death a homicide and her murder still remains one of Nashville’s unresolved cases. On Monday, we interviewed prison rights activist, Denver Schimming, about the case. • Newscoma: Winston Rand - He Was A Pretty Good Guy: I have to say that Winston was always kind, smart and clever. He will be missed and our thoughts and prayers go to Roomie. See also: Snickering ‘at the sheer effrontery’ • The Pesky Fly: The Full DLC Looks like Obama is in full DLC play-not-to-lose mode. Let's just hope he doesn't go windsurfing. • Progressive Nashville: Patriotism, Part 2: Republicans look at the strength and wellbeing of America, while Democrats concentrate on the strength and wellbeing of Americans. See also: America at its best • Resonance: Monday Gloomy Economic Outlook Blogging: People (including high-ranking officials in the U.S. government) have been suggesting that the worst of the financial mess is over. It's not. To that point, Lawrence Summers: "It is quite possible that we are now at the most dangerous moment since the American financial crisis began last August." • RoaneViews: Pyro Patriot: West Roane Volunteer Fire Department has plenty of stuff you can blow up to show how patriotic you are. Their supplier in China is so patriotic that they blew up a whole fireworks factory. • Russ McBee : Byron Dorgan, oil speculators, and the supply question: The speculators may simply be acting as canaries in the financial coal mine, sending a message that they expect supplies to decline (and prices to skyrocket) in the near future. • Nashville for the 21st Century: Bredesen-O-Meter: Now, perhaps people won't be stupid enough to think McCain is literally George Bush's clone, but any careful observer could see that over the past few months Sen. McCain has abandoned his Maverick credentials in favor of adopting positions close to, or mirroring, those of the Worst President in the History of the United States. • SharonCobb: My Thoughts On Rush Limbaugh's Record Breaking Deal Through 2016.: My first thought when I read that Rush Limbaugh has signed with Clear Channel for a gazillion dollars through 2016, is Clear Channel wants to have Rush on the air through the two terms of President Obama's tenure in the White House to keep the fighting between the left and the right going. See also: What Does It Mean To Be Pro Israel? • Silence Isn't Golden: Hobbsie Steps In It, Again: It must be tough to be so unable to find anything about your own candidate to praise that you're reduced to outright lying about your opponent. See also: Advice For Someone Who Probably Won't Take It • Southern Beale: Obama’s Faith Based Idea Will Work: Count me among those liberals welcoming Barack Obama’s announcement about giving faith-based groups a role in his administration. See also: Never Give Up! Never Surrender! • Tennessee Guerilla Women: Trouble in Obamanation: Liberal Angst: A growing number of longtime Obama supporters are withholding financial and other forms of support for Barack Obama until he comes back to the left. .. Gee, does this mean all these liberals are really Republicans? Must be! See also: Can Wives Be Presidents? • TennViews: Surprise, surprise! AT&T files first statewide cable franchise application: Yes, and thanks to the lobbyists and consultants, who include... See also: Chris Lugo on Independence Day • Vibinc: Tough Financial Medicine: So while you're out there bitching about trials and triangulations, I know I will be, don't forget the harsh reality that gas has surpassed the price of milk, which will most certainly start rising faster. That means everything else gets more expensive, and I need to start lobbying to allow farm animals in the city with all my backyard space. I should probably fix the fence first... • WhitesCreek Journal: Forward Backward Reverse Inward Twist: I am thinking that McCain is pretty flexible for an old person, and in order to get an adequate description of his abilities, we should be watching the Olympic Diving trials now taking place in Knoxville for some ideas. See also: Born on the Fourth of July • Women's Health News: Her Name was Esmin Green: Esmin Green sang gospel music at church. Esmin Green was a mother with six children. Esmin Green was a black woman who died on the floor of one of New York City’s public hospitals while waiting for psychiatric care and being ignored.
Press release: As a direct result of a new state law that encourages statewide video competition, AT&T Inc. has announced plans to offer video services in communities across Tennessee and to invest approximately $400 million during the next several years in fiber network upgrades, further broadband deployment and Internet-based technologies to bring new services, including cutting-edge IP based television, to Tennessee consumers. Yes, and thanks to the lobbyists and consultants, who include Naifeh's wife, Betty Anderson (who technically couldn't lobby on the bill), "Randy Camp, a former state court administrator and personnel commissioner to Bredesen, Beth Winstead, Naifeh's former assistant chief clerk and Bredesen's former chief lobbyist when he was Nashville mayor, Anna Windrow, Bredesen's former senior adviser," and spokesman "Bob Corney, Bredesen's former communications chief," and consultant "Dave Cooley, Bredesen's former deputy governor." (Source) Still waiting for DSL in my neighborhood, five years and counting... ( categories: )
The "shoot 'em if you got 'em while Big Brother watches" edition of the random interval Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about. • 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Wordless Wednesday • Tiny Cat Pants: Will Campfield ever realize the bitter poetic injustice of his being a servant of the people of Tennessee while at the same time working to deny legal personhood to some of those people? • Carole Borges: Understanding how these girls think might actually spur people to make changes that would help problem teens. Usually it's easier to just condemn them. • The Crone Speaks: The average • Cup Of Joe Powell: Interview With Congressional Candidate Rob Russell, plus: Super Giant Exxxtreeeeeme Summer Edition Madhouse Marathon... quite possibly the best movie blog of all time and space • Don Williams: Tell me you don’t believe Barack Obama’s a secret Muslim, or that the "fist bump" thing he and Michelle do contains terrorist overtones. Evidently thousands or millions of people believe such nonsense..., plus: Activists, priests, scholars, artists, musicians, writers, teachers, environmentalists and others from a range of spiritual traditions accomplished much June 21 and 22 as they initiated Peace On and With the Earth, a conference to explore the relationship between peace and the environment. • TNDP: a new religious left movement? • Enclave: ...Ben puts words into the mouths of Social Gospelers that they never would have uttered because it is politically expedient for the anti-revenue mob to discredit mobilized progressive Christians with half-truths about who they are and what they want to "steal." Plus, judicial activists legislating from the bench, Part I and Part II. • KnoxViews: Supreme Court rules against Obama!, plus: Authorities shut down largest known TN puppy mill operation • Lean Left: Heller Open Thread • Left of the Dial: Should marijuana smoking be allowed in airports before one takes a flight? ...who would you rather sit next to on a flight: a drunk or a stoner? Plus: George Carlin’s Legacy • LeftWingCracker: You know, two years ago, Harold Ford Junior thought he had HIS race won, too; that didn't work out so well, did it? Obama needs to tighten up, and fast. Plus: George Carlin: Baseball v. Football • Liberadio(!) interviews David Sirota • Newscoma: They are creating holes when it comes to civil liberties. And I’m with much of the progressive blogosphere when we see that Barack Obama said he would filibuster this bill last year and he didn’t. I ain’t happy, campers. Obama simply blew it. Bonus: I Need To Start My Own Hippie Newspaper • A Pesky Fly Must Read: The Top Five Reasons Why The Republican Party is Good for Democrats • Progressive Nashville: Who's getting stimulated here?, Bonus: A Bill Gates memo to staff re. Windows usability • Resonance: 2008 Cherohala Challenge Photo Ride Report, plus $7 gas and public transportation. • RoaneViews: Handguns flying off the shelves, severe drought, working on exceptional, and off road vehicles v. the environment. • Russ McBee: I suppose it's possible that the crippling of a census program which improves the accuracy of counting minorities is just a coincidence., plus: Feingold on FISA • Sean Braisted: While everyone is focused on Heller, another important ruling was issued, this in regards to campaign finance reform. • Sharon Cobb: Who's your daddy, Hillary?, and Cohen:Conscience of the Freshman Class, plus Why is Luke Russert on my TV? • Silence Isn't Golden: In summation: Mike Stewart, good. David Sirota, wrong. Matt Pulle, full of shit. (Click the link and read why.) Also read this. • Southern Beale: Hell Freezes, I Thank The NRA - Why? Because they just took away the trusty old standby argument they’ve used against every Democratic candidate since forever... Plus: Supreme Court hands ExxonMobil a Big Payday, and Bobby Jindal? Really?, bonus: Nashville welcomes Cher • Tennessee Guerilla Women: You might have thought that after eight long years of the Bush trainwreck, we could have gotten an actual liberal candidate. As the Hillary corner of the lefty blogosphere has repeatedly warned, Obama is no liberal. Is it time to say, we told you so, yet? Plus: Lusty Senators Larry Craig & David Vitter Sponsor Anti Gay Marriage Amendment: Suffice it to say, the Marriage Protection Amendment does not read: Thou shalt not publicly humiliate your wife by coveting another man in a bathroom stall. Nor does it read: Thou shalt not publicly humiliate your wife by fooling around with prostitutes. • TennViews (Chris Lugo): Big brother is watching you and his name is AT&T. Sometimes he goes by the name of BellSouth and at other times he is known as AOL-Time-Warner. Big brother goes by a lot of names. He is listening to you while you talk and watching you while you type and everything you say could be recorded so he can look at it somewhere down the line. • Vibinc: People seeking an office should be comfortable enough with themselves and their positions to take criticism of these topics constructively. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. • WhitesCreek Journal: Barack Obama is attempting to do something radical and dangerous for a Presidential candidate...Speak intelligently about religion... • Women’s Health News: Seriously, what better way to proclaim that a lack of proper sex ed or lack of contraceptive availability has no bearing on these pregnancies than to suggest that the girls were sneakily and deliberately trying to become pregnant?
Tennessee Conservation Voters has recognized Sen. Rosalind Kurita, Sen. Raymond Finney, and Sen. Bill Ketron as the top environmental supporters in the Tennessee Senate for 2008. The full scorecard (9MB PDF!) is here. (Sen. John Wilder scored near the bottom with a -1.) ( categories: )
Jake Jost at WBIR's Knoxville Talks breaks down our Tennessee Senators' comments regarding a complicated tax bill. Interesting observation by Jake: Taxes are the child of spending. If you don’t like taxes, get spending under control. See also: Russ McBee. Related: Neither presidential candidate was present to vote. ( categories: )
The Nashville Post helps out organizers of the latest "English only" movement. Looks like somebody skipped a couple of English composition classes. ( categories: )
Gun Owners of America House Ratings For The 110th Congress TENNESSEE ( categories: )
The Tennessee chapter of the National Nurses Organizing Committee says Bill Frist is not fit to be governor of Tennessee because of his record on health care. They have prepared a report and will hold a press conference outside HCA Headquarters in Nashville tomorrow: WHAT: Tennessee Nurses and Healthcare Advocates Unveil New Report: "Is Bill Frist Fit to be Governor?" WHEN: Thursday, June 12, 11:00 a.m. WHERE: Centennial Park, opposite HCA headquarters, One Park Plaza, Nashville Frist is scheduled to speak at a June 19th convention of health insurance companies in California. Tennessee RNs and other healthcare activists plan to attend and present their report there. The report is said to detail Frist's failure to secure funding for TennCare and his cozy ties to the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, among other things. Kathy McGregor, RN, a leader with NNOC Tennessee, says "As Tennessee nurses, we are concerned with anything that impacts the health of our patients, and this report makes clear that Bill Frist is a danger to Tennessee patients. His time in the Senate made our state and our nation less healthy. As the healthcare crisis deepens, Tennessee cannot afford to elect someone who is unfit to be our Governor." Healthcare Now advocate Debby Hester says "Tennessee deserves to be governed by someone committed to improving our public health. Healthcare advocates in Tennessee join others in closely scrutinizing the background and voting record of former Tennessee Senator Bill First. We want improvement, not more of the same." ( categories: )
Russ McBee looks at a new report on the underinsured, the number of which has grown to over 25 million in addition to the 47 million uninsured. He's not impressed with either major party candidate's proposed solution. UPDATE: The Crone also speaks. ( categories: )
Southern Beale has the details. I don't know what she's complaining about. The oil companies are spending millions on alternative energy. Alternative energy hype, that is. Look at the news magazines, national newspapers, and cable TV news breaks to see all the great ads about how "green" and concerned they are about our planet and our energy supplies. Also, I hate to tell you this but the real price of gas right now is about $10 per gallon. You're just not paying it at the pump. You're paying it with an IOU for damage to the environment and oil company tax breaks and defense spending and trillions in budget and foreign trade deficits that are costing us jobs and piling up massive debt for somebody to pay off someday. Except they won't be able to get to work because they'll be out of oil and they won't have figured out how to get past 150 year old internal combustion technology for transportation. And every time the oil companies raise the price of gas, the Average American worker gets a pay cut and a tax increase, with the proceeds going directly into the pockets of oil companies and their enablers in Congress. How's that stimulus check working out for you? At any rate, the argument shouldn't be for lowering gas prices or opening up ANWR and the Continental Shelf to drilling (although that would help expedite using up all the oil so America would finally have to do something about the real problem). The argument should be for a rational energy policy. But we are way beyond that, and it may be too late. If you want more of these same brilliant strategies, vote for John McCain and Lamar Alexander in November. P.S. Bush and Cheney aren't "oil men." They are "oil company men." UPDATE: TNDP: Alexander, Corker throw Tennesseans in the tank ( categories: )
As gas prices hit $4, some tough talk on energy. ( categories: )
As you've probably heard, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a new law requiring voter verifiable voting in Tennessee and the Governor signed it into law on Thursday. Contrary to some earlier media reports, county election offices will not be able to simply retrofit DRE (direct recording electronic) voting systems with printers. Instead, the new law specifies that "the ballot of record shall be a paper ballot marked by the voter" and that optical scan machines at the precinct level will be used to tally the votes. The bill also requires county election offices to audit machine tallies by hand counting 3% of the votes from 3% of the precincts selected at random. County election officials are rightly concerned about the increased cost for printing and storing paper ballots. The law does, however, allow for "printing on demand" to help mitigate the costs. The law goes into effect Jan. 1 2009. Existing systems can be used for 2008 elections, but any new systems purchased or leased after Jan. 1 must comply with the new regulations. The estimated cost for new machines is $25 million. The law authorizes election officials to expedite replacing or modifying old systems for compliance, and mandates that new systems must be in place for the 2010 general election. But there's a catch: ...notwithstanding any provision of this act or any other law to the contrary, the requirements of this act mandating the purchase or lease of new voting systems shall be implemented if and only if federal “Help America Vote Act” (HAVA) funds previously allocated, or other federal funding resources, are available to pay the full cost of purchasing or leasing such new voting systems. This is significant, because the vast majority of voting machines in the state of Tennessee are DRE touchscreen or pushbutton voting machines. Optical scan machines are used in only tw |
