Friday, October 2, 2009
Haslam Draws the Line on Guns
Yes, some things are unbelievable but every once in a while we have to issue KUDOS to a member of the other party. Despite the fact that our new Republican state legislature would like to let folks carry guns EVERYWHERE, and despite the fact that Haslam is in East TN in the heart of gun-country USA, and despite the fact that he is running for Governor of this red state, Knoxville's Bill Haslam has stood up against the gun lobby by trying to ban guns from Knoxville's parks. Nope - I'm not kidding. Maybe he was always meant to be a liberal and we just didn't know it. I encourage all of you to let him know how proud we are of him. Let's lend some moral support.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Feel Good Friday EVE
I will feel good tomorrow...but this one from Warren Zevon is in honor of the disappointing events of the week regarding healthcare reform and the ATTEMPTED booting of the public option by our elected agent for 'change'. To totally steal a phrase from the LeftWingCracker "Come back with your shield, on ON it". (Sorry about the link - couldn't get the video to embed.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2aUJF3gdog
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Jackson Day
Yes, as a good Democrat, I went to Jackson Day. I had never actually seen Bill Clinton in person before, plus I feel that our party needs to pull together more than ever if we are to re-take the Tennessee Legislature next year. Mark it down as a great success for Chip Forrester and the party. Although the paper said over $600,000 was raised, I bet its over $750,000 gross based on the crowd and the prices I knew about. After an eventful day of meeting Democrats from all over and finally meeting nearly every gubernatorial candidate (except I somehow missed Cammack), I have to say we have a few good choices for Governor next August.
Herron, Kyle and McMillian are all very personable. Herron must have brought every soul from his county with him. Met Mike McWherter too. I always liked Ned Ray McWherter but was a little disappointed in his son since Mike doesn't seem to have inherited any of his dad's favorable qualities except his name. Part of Ned Ray's appeal was that he was 'everyman'....a good ole downhome boy, definitely raised without a silver spoon in his mouth, but Ned could talk to anyone. He always made you feel comfortable. Mike? Not so much. I caught a lot of the speeches at the luncheon and have to admit that Jim Kyle did a good job. Looked and sounded like a Governor and I liked what he said. I met his wife and she is a campaign asset. Put me down as leaning Kyle. I want someone who can beat the Republican nominee, plus Kyle is our home-town guy.
Later during the dinner, there were appropriately a few moments of silence for the loss of Teddy Kennedy. Then, we got to hear Al Gore, Harold Ford Jr., Gov. Phil Bredeson, and finally Bill Clinton speak. After all the rumors that Clinton was going to be very late due to the Kennedy funeral and the weather in Boston, he arrived early, so the crowd was pleased. During Clinton's speech, it struck me that Bill Clinton has to be one of the more intelligent folks to ever grace the national stage in recent memory. Bill gave a great speech - very impressive. Somehow he manages to take complicated subjects and explain them in ways everyone can understand, while backing them up with numbers, stories and facts - all without the benefit of a single note. Something our prior president could never have done. (I am going to reserve judgment on Bill's urgent message that the worst thing we can do about healthcare is nothing...I am for a plan with a public option, because without a public option, it is not healthcare reform IMO. Our Blue Dog Congressmen in TN were complimented several times during the night for their healthcare efforts and those comments didn't elicit any applause from me. I was also wondering where our Congressman Cohen was, since I never did see him.)
But back to the speeches: Gore was good too. We don't have many Nobel prize winners in TN so I have to be proud of him and he deserves it. In the many years since he ran for Senate in TN, his speaking ability has improved -- and luckily his stiffness decreased. Ford Jr. had one good line when he said Gore would have been president if the folks in Florida knew how to count. As to Bredeson, what can I say? At least I didn't nod off.
I met the guy running unopposed for the Dem nomination for the 7th Congressional district to take on Marsha Blackburn, Greg Rabindoux. More power to him. Don't live in that district but hope he wins. PS: He's also handsome.
All in all a successful day for the party. Left me with a nice glowy feeling. Don't know what we can do next year to top it but we sure need to try.
Herron, Kyle and McMillian are all very personable. Herron must have brought every soul from his county with him. Met Mike McWherter too. I always liked Ned Ray McWherter but was a little disappointed in his son since Mike doesn't seem to have inherited any of his dad's favorable qualities except his name. Part of Ned Ray's appeal was that he was 'everyman'....a good ole downhome boy, definitely raised without a silver spoon in his mouth, but Ned could talk to anyone. He always made you feel comfortable. Mike? Not so much. I caught a lot of the speeches at the luncheon and have to admit that Jim Kyle did a good job. Looked and sounded like a Governor and I liked what he said. I met his wife and she is a campaign asset. Put me down as leaning Kyle. I want someone who can beat the Republican nominee, plus Kyle is our home-town guy.
Later during the dinner, there were appropriately a few moments of silence for the loss of Teddy Kennedy. Then, we got to hear Al Gore, Harold Ford Jr., Gov. Phil Bredeson, and finally Bill Clinton speak. After all the rumors that Clinton was going to be very late due to the Kennedy funeral and the weather in Boston, he arrived early, so the crowd was pleased. During Clinton's speech, it struck me that Bill Clinton has to be one of the more intelligent folks to ever grace the national stage in recent memory. Bill gave a great speech - very impressive. Somehow he manages to take complicated subjects and explain them in ways everyone can understand, while backing them up with numbers, stories and facts - all without the benefit of a single note. Something our prior president could never have done. (I am going to reserve judgment on Bill's urgent message that the worst thing we can do about healthcare is nothing...I am for a plan with a public option, because without a public option, it is not healthcare reform IMO. Our Blue Dog Congressmen in TN were complimented several times during the night for their healthcare efforts and those comments didn't elicit any applause from me. I was also wondering where our Congressman Cohen was, since I never did see him.)
But back to the speeches: Gore was good too. We don't have many Nobel prize winners in TN so I have to be proud of him and he deserves it. In the many years since he ran for Senate in TN, his speaking ability has improved -- and luckily his stiffness decreased. Ford Jr. had one good line when he said Gore would have been president if the folks in Florida knew how to count. As to Bredeson, what can I say? At least I didn't nod off.
I met the guy running unopposed for the Dem nomination for the 7th Congressional district to take on Marsha Blackburn, Greg Rabindoux. More power to him. Don't live in that district but hope he wins. PS: He's also handsome.
All in all a successful day for the party. Left me with a nice glowy feeling. Don't know what we can do next year to top it but we sure need to try.
Friday, August 14, 2009
The Lunatic Formerly Known as Mayor
I have just watched the two interviews given today by former Mayor Herenton to Les Smith and Joe Birch. I found myself speechless for about 18 minutes there...but having now regained a modicum of composure, I am compelled to post. I have listened to speculation over the past couple of years that Dr. Herenton may have "narcissistic (which he can't pronounce) personality disorder", may be on drugs, may be a megalomaniac, may be paranoid, or may just be plain crazy. I have read Richard Fields recent letter of July 30th reciting most of those allegations and more (which may have actually precipitated Herenton's petition-pulling. Thanks Rich!) Whatever Herenton is, today me thinks he doth protest too much about the not-crazy part.
One thing is clear from the past two days: Willie Herenton doesn't trust the citizens of Memphis to elect their own chief executive. He's convinced we can't do anything right without his guidance. He belittles the candidates and insults our intelligence while trying somehow to gain the high ground. He treats us as ignorant children in need of parental supervision. I am offended and we should all be insulted by his condescension towards the Memphis voters.
TO DR. HERENTON: We don't need your help. You are not the 'be all' and 'end all' of Memphis politics. There are views and issues which deserve the air. There are problems you have ignored, including, most egregiously, your own African-American community which has not prospered under your reign. You poison race relations in Memphis and we need you gone in order to move forward. We love our city too and your continued involvement in our local affairs moves us backward, not forward.
Of course you have the legal right to resign and of course you have the legal right to re-file for the same office. People have all kinds of legal rights to do crazy things - doesn't mean they ought to do them or that, in doing them, everyone else doesn't have the right to question their sanity.
In 2007, you wasted a lot of taxpayers' time, money and efforts in running for an office you didn't want. Less than two years later, you resigned, causing we the taxpayers (you remember, the people you supposedly want to represent again) to foot the bill for a special election to the tune of $1 million-plus. Now you want taxpayers to foot the bill for this special election for no reason since you want your job back....THEN IF YOU WIN, YOU WANT US TO PAY FOR ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION WHEN YOU QUIT AGAIN NEXT YEAR TO RUN FOR CONGRESS. ENOUGH!!
Since when do you believe we are so stupid as to elect an official who has flushed at least $2 million of our hard-earned tax dollars down the toilet? If we don't like what the Mayor Pro Tem is doing, we won't vote for him. If we don't want a wrestler or a Zambodian running the City, we won't vote for him. If we don't want a woman in the Mayor's office who has never gotten along with anyone, we won't vote for her....et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. AND if we don't want a Lunatic Formerly Known as Mayor who doesn't care about wasting our time and money, spouting racist BS and being a national embarrassment which keeps business and jobs away from Memphis, then we won't vote for him either.
Frankly, I believe that you just discovered that without being the incumbent Mayor, you can't raise a nickel in this town to run for Congress. No big surprise to the rest of us - too bad you didn't think that through - but we the taxpayers don't need to pay for your lack of planning and insight (again).
Dr., act like an adult and treat us as the same. We will live happily ever after without you...and if we f*** up, it won't be the first time.
One thing is clear from the past two days: Willie Herenton doesn't trust the citizens of Memphis to elect their own chief executive. He's convinced we can't do anything right without his guidance. He belittles the candidates and insults our intelligence while trying somehow to gain the high ground. He treats us as ignorant children in need of parental supervision. I am offended and we should all be insulted by his condescension towards the Memphis voters.
TO DR. HERENTON: We don't need your help. You are not the 'be all' and 'end all' of Memphis politics. There are views and issues which deserve the air. There are problems you have ignored, including, most egregiously, your own African-American community which has not prospered under your reign. You poison race relations in Memphis and we need you gone in order to move forward. We love our city too and your continued involvement in our local affairs moves us backward, not forward.
Of course you have the legal right to resign and of course you have the legal right to re-file for the same office. People have all kinds of legal rights to do crazy things - doesn't mean they ought to do them or that, in doing them, everyone else doesn't have the right to question their sanity.
In 2007, you wasted a lot of taxpayers' time, money and efforts in running for an office you didn't want. Less than two years later, you resigned, causing we the taxpayers (you remember, the people you supposedly want to represent again) to foot the bill for a special election to the tune of $1 million-plus. Now you want taxpayers to foot the bill for this special election for no reason since you want your job back....THEN IF YOU WIN, YOU WANT US TO PAY FOR ANOTHER SPECIAL ELECTION WHEN YOU QUIT AGAIN NEXT YEAR TO RUN FOR CONGRESS. ENOUGH!!
Since when do you believe we are so stupid as to elect an official who has flushed at least $2 million of our hard-earned tax dollars down the toilet? If we don't like what the Mayor Pro Tem is doing, we won't vote for him. If we don't want a wrestler or a Zambodian running the City, we won't vote for him. If we don't want a woman in the Mayor's office who has never gotten along with anyone, we won't vote for her....et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. AND if we don't want a Lunatic Formerly Known as Mayor who doesn't care about wasting our time and money, spouting racist BS and being a national embarrassment which keeps business and jobs away from Memphis, then we won't vote for him either.
Frankly, I believe that you just discovered that without being the incumbent Mayor, you can't raise a nickel in this town to run for Congress. No big surprise to the rest of us - too bad you didn't think that through - but we the taxpayers don't need to pay for your lack of planning and insight (again).
Dr., act like an adult and treat us as the same. We will live happily ever after without you...and if we f*** up, it won't be the first time.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
MUST READ
Smart City Memphis has an excellent post on the anti-discrimination ordinance before the Shelby County Commission. Please go read it.
http://smartcitymemphis.blogspot.com/2009/05/wwjd-surely-not-discriminate-or-hate.html
http://smartcitymemphis.blogspot.com/2009/05/wwjd-surely-not-discriminate-or-hate.html
Thursday, October 23, 2008
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