Road Warriors making their way through Middle Tennessee may be in for a surprise...

85% of gas stations in Metro Nashville are running on empty or are completely out of gas in all grades.

I received the following pamphlet in the mail today (click to embiggen):

And, as suggested, I went to the website to find out more about the suggested legislation.

That referendum, if successful, would add a section 1.08 to Article 1 of the Metro charter as follows:

"English is the official language of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Official actions (those which bind or commit the government) shall be taken only in the English language, and all official government communications and publications shall be published only in English. No person shall have a right to government services in any other language. All meetings of the Metro Council, Boards, and Commissions of the Metropolitan Government shall be conducted in English. Nothing in this measure shall be interpreted to conflict with federal or state law."

So I found that out. But there's nothing apparent on the website or this mailer of who paid for this stuff, other than "paid for by 'Nashville English First'." That tells me nothing. However, since the Internet makes a lot of that information more or less available if you know a few simple commands...

% whois nashvilleenglishfirst.com

...and if you follow that output, you will find that the administrative contact for this domain is Nashville Metro Councilman Eric Crafton. This stands to reason, as "English first" is one of this guy's known hobby horses (follow below the cut for more).

That being said: Why doesn't he have the courage to sign his proud English name in bold print upon his own mailers?

(For what it's worth, I'm shredding the petition and I'm voting No, Nein, Nyet, Não, Ne, Mecheye, Neu, Tsha, Không, Yuk, Yanda, Naagga, Ntondo, Ochi, Ei, Neen... you get the idea.)

Despite recent efforts to curtail copper theft in Tennessee...

If you still have above-ground power supply in your area, check the utility poles feeding your house.

I was just out at my street corner yesterday doing some pruning, and I noticed that the surface mounted conduit was slashed and about a 10' segment of the #6 ground wire was cut from the base of the pole to about the proper height for a man of average height equipped with a standard pair of bolt cutters.

Someone lifted our ground, so to speak. I figure that's probably not good, as the shortest path to ground is now through my house.

A cursory review of the poles along the line revealed the same pattern.

I called my power company and they're supposed to be having a look.

It's open season on Obama, and despite its vile amateurism, the TNGOP Muslim smear was just the first salvo fired. In the last week alone:

• Karl Rove steps up and repeats the lie.
• Limbaugh likens Obama to wanted terrorist.
• Fox News lies about Obama's religious orientation.
• Chris Wallace keeps insisting on Obama's ties to Nation Of Islam, despite outright repudiation by Obama.
• Michael Savage "accidentally" refers to Obama as Saddam Hussein.

And Michael Halperin issues a short list of dirty tricks on the same day that Hobbs press release oozed into public view, albeit initially beneath the radar (and this is a condensed list)...

1. Play the national security card without hesitation.
2. Talk about the Iraq War without apologies or perceived contradiction.
3. Go at Obama unambiguously from the right.
4. Encourage interest groups, bloggers, and right-leaning media to explore Obama's past.
5. Make an issue of Obama's acknowledged drug use.
6. Allow some supporters to risk being accused of using the race card when criticizing Obama.
7. Exploit Michelle Obama's mistakes and address her controversial remarks with unrestricted censure.
8. Play dirty without alienating his party.
9. Dismiss Obama's brief national tenure from his own lofty platform of decades in the Senate -- there will be no ambiguity about who has more experience as conventionally defined.
10. Use his sterling war record to reinforce his image of patriotism and valor -- and contrast it with his opponent's.
11. Emphasize Barack Hussein Obama's unusual name and exotic background through a Manchurian Candidate prism.

This doesn't even scratch the surface of the incredibly ugly trashing of Clinton - for one example, as far as I know, the FEC hasn't made an issue out of the execrable 527 registered under the name of "Citizens United Not Timid." (I've seen some people who should know better who reflexively grunt and groan and dismiss the idea that there's some ugly misogyny at work here, but the garbage is indisputably out there in plain view, just as racist sentiment has been hyped in 2008 - not only against Barack Obama but also in the single-issue (xenophobia) platform of Duncan Hunter and Tom Tancredo, not to mention the well-documented and dubious political past of Ron Paul.)

But as Clinton's campaign founders, our Usual Idiots in The Village are quickly finding time to start honing their gutterball game on Barack Obama's name, heritage, race, bonafides, integrity, capacity, ability, you name it. Movement conservatives are flocking to McCain despite their early protestations, looking for the flimsiest excuses to jump aboard. Race is as flimsy as anything, but for certain folks (e.g. Coulter, Limbaugh), it'll have to do.

The game, for worse or for even worse, is on. More after the jump...

The TNGOP's take on an "Internet lie" makes #4 on Olbermann's Countdown (2/28/08):

Rest assured, Keith. Hobbs won't ever use "stupidity" as a defense. Getting renounced by the national GOP, rebuked by Lamar Alexander, corrected by Bob Corker, dissed by Marsha Blackburn, scolded by John McCain, left for dead by Karl Rove, earning scorn from Countdown, chortles from Hardball, disdain from CNN, and the well-deserved indignation of the Obama campaign is all part of his brilliant strategy!

...to bring down the TN GOP from the inside. (wink, wink)

Your check's in the mail, Bill.

UPDATE: I'll take mine with butter, thanks.

Almost universally, support for GOP chair Robin Smith among donors and elected officials remains strong and she is getting high marks for her overall leadership of the state party. However, those same individuals who asked not to be named out of deference to her want to see a shake-up at her office and are pointing squarely at her communications director, Bill Hobbs.

Among the issues these Republican stalwarts have with Hobbs are his propensity to make the story about himself or his beliefs, which they say are not representative of the entire party. They feel that there a number of strong issues that Republicans can focus on in this election year, yet the message coming out of the Tennessee Republican Party consistently lacks discipline or merit.

Yeowch. Developing...

Looks like the NIU shooting and the Va. Tech shooting share something more in common: the same gun dealership...

The online gun dealer who sold a weapon to the Virginia Tech shooter said it was an unnerving coincidence that he also sold handgun accessories to the man who killed five students at Northern Illinois University.

Eric Thompson said his Web site, Link..., sold two empty 9 mm Glock magazines and a Glock holster to Steven Kazmierczak on Feb. 4, just 10 days before the 27-year-old opened fire in a classroom and killed five before committing suicide.

You know, there's really nothing quite like a gambling metaphor to express your empathy for people suffering through devastation.

Did I say "empathy for?" Sorry, I meant "utter disconnection from."

Behold: Compassionate conservatism in action.

You would think that the president had been coached on this after Katrina. Still, the best he can offer in his fake Texas accent is "life is unfair?"

Supercell storms have caused serious damage at Union College in Memphis; some students trapped.

One fatality reported so far.

The storm knocked out a couple of TVA main lines in Western Kentucky and caused significant damage throughout Middle TN.

According to Channel 4 in Nashville, there's a pileup between mile marker 70 and 80 involving at least 60 (edit: now reported to be 20) transfer trucks and an unreported number of automobiles. TEMA and the THP are on the site.

...developing...

Here's hoping that everyone is OK.

But you might need to find alternate routes if you're moving through West Tennessee tomorrow.

Late add: Lightning apparently caused an explosion at a natural gas transfer facility in Trousdale. Still burning at this hour.

Not even the Reagan Revolution or the Contract On America was as successful at creating so much ruin in such little time:

Via the Democratic Caucus, via Think Progress via Digby.

This is but a sample of what continues to be at stake.

Considering what's going on in the GOP camp these days, I find it almost charming and quaint watching the leading Democratic campaigns exchange barbs this primary season. Witness...

A Tennessee-based surrogate campaign allegedly seeks to promote Mike Huckabee's candidacy... and if you believe the robo-callers, you'll find that Thompson is a baby-killer, Romney wants to give babies to homosexuals -- in other words, your standard, typical, garden-variety push poll.

Looks as though significant funding for this effort is coming from a sole source (h/t Tennessean).

An organizer for Mike Huckabee supporters in southern Tennessee and northern Georgia made a large donation to the group that has been sending out hundreds of thousands of automated telephone calls to voters in South Carolina attacking Huckabee's opponents for the Republican nomination for president.

Common Sense Issues Inc. portrays itself as an independent political organization and Huckabee's campaign denied any involvement with the group and disavowed its tactics, which have included millions of phone calls in Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan and Nevada.

Mark West of Ooltewah, Tenn., near Chattanooga, gave a total of $48,500 to Common Sense Issues Inc., according to Federal Election Commission records. West and his wife, Lori, also gave the maximum of $2,300 each to Huckabee's presidential primary campaign.

And West is the organizer of the Chattanooga Mike Huckabee supporters meet-up group and the northern Georgia meet-up group as well. Huckabee has no formal state organizations in either state, according to his campaign Web site, but supporters are encouraged to click on a link that takes them to the online meet-up groups in their community, including West's two groups.

Two telephone messages left at West's home Thursday were not immediately returned.

What's a little mutual cannibalism among political rivals?

Common Sense Issues is run by Patrick Davis of Colorado Springs, Colo., a former national Republican Party operative. He has been open in describing the group's efforts and says they are legal.

Note the use of the word "legal." No word regarding whether or not this conduct is "ethical." (Note: Contributions of the sort made to Common Sense Issues Inc. are only "legal" insofar as they are not connected to or directed to a single candidate, so this question remains open.)

More about the GOP activist Mr. West after the flip...

The newest bit of pus to ooze from the syphillitic fantasies of the Republican slime machine comes courtesy of Jonah "Doughy Pantload" Goldberg and is quickly reinforced by Tennessee's own Glenn Reynolds:

An Obama loss in a presidential election could lead to race riots...

I think it's worth imagining a certain scenario. Imagine the Democrats do rally around Obama. Imagine the media invests as heavily in him as I think we all know they will if he's the nominee -- and then imagine he loses. I seriously think certain segments of American political life will become completely unhinged. I can imagine the fear of this social unraveling actually aiding Obama enormously in 2008.

...and that this fear is supposedly what's propelling the Obama candidacy.

Reynolds, for his part, claims: "He's right," although it probably sounds better in the original tear sheets from Völkischer Beobachter, rather than on the front page of Instapundit.

This sort of commentary brings me full circle (from inspiration to disgust) a short distance from Obama's very own words on Tuesday:

You said the time has come to move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger that's consumed Washington. To end the political strategy that's been all about division, and instead make it about addition. To build a coalition for change that stretches through red states and blue states. Because that's how we'll win in November, and that's how we'll finally meet the challenges that we face as a nation:

We are choosing hope over fear.

We're choosing unity over division, and sending a powerful message that change is coming to America.

Apparently, this message falls on ears deafened, plugged with years of excrement about how a melanin deficit indicates genetic superiority.

From a Democracy for Tennessee blast mail:

Why should Iowa have all the fun?

You can take part in the Davidson County Democratic Party's presidential straw poll on Jan. 15. It begins at 5:30 p.m., with the polls opening at 6 p.m.

Tickets are $15 and the event will be held at the Farmers Market, 900 8th Ave N in Nashville.

Make ticket reservations by calling 354-5400.

Congratulations to Barack Obama on his (rather decisive, considering the late split for 2nd place) win in the Iowa caucus.

As of 10:10ET...

Senator Barack Obama : 37.29%
Senator John Edwards : 29.98%
Senator Hillary Clinton : 29.52%
Governor Bill Richardson : 2.12%
Senator Joe Biden : 0.94%
Uncommitted : 0.12%
Senator Chris Dodd : 0.03%

Precincts reporting: 1671 of 1781

UPDATE: MSNBC reports that Biden and Dodd are out. Kucinich still in - although his showing was worse than both combined.

UPDATE again: MSNBC reports that Gravel is out. He was a candidate?

NBC calling Iowa for Huckabee as of 9 ET, followed by Romney. Thompson a distant third with 25% of precincts reporting in the straw poll.

(cross-posted @Knoxviews)

As if flying and being a photographer wasn't already a big enough pain* in the ass, spare Li-Ion batteries can no longer go through checked baggage.

To help reduce the risk of fires, air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning Jan. 1, the Transportation Department said Friday.

Passengers can still check baggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

Interesting that they quote "fire hazard" as the reason - the footage I've seen of lithium batteries catching fire has been when they're inserted and being used. Anyway.

The new rules can be found here: Link...

My advice - switch to alkaline if you can while traveling. Example: The Nikon D200 has an accessory battery grip that lets you load up with commercially available, disposable AA batts as opposed to the rechargeables.

(h/t Moose Peterson.)

* I had flown to New Zealand from Los Angeles on QANTAS in coach with a dedicated carry-on for my camera gear. Unfortunately, the US end does not enforce the declared carry-on weight restrictions. However, the NZ end does. They were going to force me to part with my bag and check it plane-side if I couldn't find some way to reduce a mass of 18kg to 8kg. I managed, but only after checking some gear I really would rather not have (like a lens and a digital photo storage device with all of my pictures on it). I've started the routine practice of wearing a photog vest and stuffing it with gear when traveling out of the country. Even f they weigh the carry-on, they don't seem to bother with weighing me. I don't think this strategem will work for Li-Ion batts, though.

According to the state of New Jersey, a 17-month old child is "deprived" of religious freedom when adopted by atheists.

...Judge Camarata denied the Burkes' right to the child because of their lack of belief in a Supreme Being. Despite the Burkes' "high moral and ethical standards," he said, the New Jersey state constitution declares that "no person shall be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshiping Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience." Despite Eleanor Katherine's tender years, he continued, "the child should have the freedom to worship as she sees fit, and not be influenced by prospective parents who do not believe in a Supreme Being."

The Burkes are now living in Carterville, Ill., near Southern Illinois University, where John Burke has worked for the past year as a speech pathologist. Nevertheless, Judge Camarata ordered the parents to send David's sister back to the New Jersey adoption agency.

("Focus on the family," or "Inexcusable and unwarranted exercise of state power?")

Here's a little gift you can give those folks on your list who've been unfortunate enough to slap a Fred 08 sticker on their car window...

The Politico (via GOP blogger Jonathan Martin) reports:

Fred has gone dark in Iowa.

[snip]

...it's a remarkable indicator of just how topsy-turvy the GOP race has been that the man once viewed as the party's savior cannot even afford to buy TV time in the final days before Iowa.

Aw. Shucks. Fred's broke? Don't say y'all weren't told...

White House spokesman Dan Bartlett, speaking on the function of the conservative blogs (marvel at the candor):

That’s what I mean by influential. I mean, talk about a direct IV into the vein of your support. It’s a very efficient way to communicate. They regurgitate exactly and put up on their blogs what you said to them. It is something that we’ve cultivated and have really tried to put quite a bit of focus on.

Insofar as GOP blogs acting as a mimeograph machine, that's hardly news. No gym teacher could get as many kids to dress alike, as the saying goes.

But that GOP blogs serve a mainlining function? Funny, I never quite thought of the White House press operation as a heroin dealership. It's an effective strategy, no doubt. Cynical. But effective.

What he said:

...steep, sandy hillsides adjacent to backcountry scrub are every bit as stupid a place to live as muddy, below sea level gulf coast floodplains. Any right-thinking Californians are hereby requested to not be retarded about rebuilding, and I hope you don’t get one red cent of government money if you are.

What are the odds this gets discussed on the CNN YouTube GOP debate?

The Politico reports...

As New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani billed obscure city agencies for tens of thousands of dollars in security expenses amassed during the time when he was beginning an extramarital relationship with future wife Judith Nathan in the Hamptons, according to previously undisclosed government records.

[snip]

The expenses first surfaced as Giuliani's two terms as mayor of New York drew to a close in 2001, when a city auditor stumbled across something unusual: $34,000 worth of travel expenses buried in the accounts of the New York City Loft Board.

When the city's fiscal monitor asked for an explanation, Giuliani's aides refused, citing "security," said Jeff Simmons, a spokesman for the city comptroller.

But American Express bills and travel documents obtained by Politico suggest another reason City Hall may have considered the documents sensitive: They detail three summers of visits to Southampton, the Long Island town where Nathan had an apartment.

Auditors "were unable to verify that these expenses were for legitimate or necessary purposes," City Comptroller William Thompson wrote of the expenses from fiscal year 2000, which covers parts of 1999 and 2000.

So, it appears that America's Mayor diddled his wife-to-be, simultaneously cheating on his then-wife; all of this on the taxpayers dime - to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. What a sterling example of human character.

No word yet from Mr. 9iu11ani. I'm presuming this will run somewhere along the lines of "youthful indiscretion" and/or "misunderstanding."

Content to stock fully their very own cans of worms, the Tennessee GOP has hired blogger Bill Hobbs (sorry, no linky-love) to operate in the full-time paid capacity of Communications Director.

Mr. Hobbs (colloquially known as B-Ho in the Tennessee blogosphere), for his part, isn't giving up his weblog (a supplementary source of income).

Reporters are already asking questions about this arrangement:

When Tennessee Republican Party spokesman Bill Hobbs called for state Sen. Jerry Cooper’s resignation last week on his personal blog, he was not speaking for the state GOP.

That’s what chairwoman Robin Smith said Monday after Hobbs, the Republicans’ new communications director, posted on his personal blog last week that Cooper (D-Morrison) “ought to resign” for transgressions that included the personal use of campaign finance money.

Smith said Hobbs only communicates in writing for the Tennessee Republican Party through press releases with the party’s letterhead at the top.

So, there is an official channel for GOP news and information, and there's an unofficial channel for GOP news and information, both vested in the person of one Bill Hobbs. One might call this arrangement questionable.

When asked how he can maintain the separation in the public’s eye between being the state GOP’s top party spokesman and having a blog that mainly opines on Tennessee politics, Hobbs gave a simple response: “When I’m working, I’m working and when I’m not, I’m not.”

Might we suggest a brightly colored fez for those times that you are on the job?

...Hobbs in comments on his own blogs and others yesterday, both made the accusation that Democrats were the driving force behind a City Paper reporter’s questioning of the communications arrangement.

As of this writing, it is not known if the Democratic Party has been asked for comment by Mr. Hobbs or by other GOP party officials.

As for me, I can clearly see where a lay person might conclude that this arrangement is a trifle suspect. Surrogate campaigns have become a favored weapon in the Republican arsenal as of late, but I must admit, I've never seen this sort of arrangement - a possible "sock puppet" arrangement, in common parlance - made so brazenly.

Kleinheider has much more.

What Digby said *.

This exchange is one of the most perfect examples of everything that's wrong with journalism today. What information did we learn?

First, we learned about the Bob Novak blind item that accuses Hillary Clinton of "slime" politics and Barack Obama of having some skeletons in his closet that nobody knows about. We then learned that even though his nickname has long been "No-facts" for his lack of attribution in his columns, Bob Novak must be telling the truth now because he proved that he had a real source in Richard Armitage when he outed a CIA agent. Therefore, we can fully trust that the Clinton campaign was behind the story. We also learned about some guy who supported Obama financially who turned out to be a crook and we learned that "it's out there" that Bill Clinton has been schtupping other women, perhaps in London, and that Obama's staff is pimping that around.

Is any of that considered professional journalism? Is any of it remotely necessary for voters to know? Because it reminds me of a boozy lunch with a bunch of bored rich divorcees only less interesting and far more consequential.

This is over the scurrilous and unsourced rumor that Hillary Clinton's campaign is withholding dirt on Barack Obama. Obama promptly rose to the bait, to which the Clinton campaign responded; lather; rinse; repeat.

Recall that the only known "source" for this scandalous rumor was Bob Novak himself - the man whose role as Karl Rove's puke funnel in the destruction of a valued national intelligence asset is now well-known.

But, of course, you won't ever hear on the news that Bob Novak might have had sinister motives - or anyone asking whether or not he just pulled that "rumor" straight out of his febrile imagination (or, for that matter, straight out of the butt of "Turd Blossom"). That would be, like, admitting something like a conservative bias in our national media.

Unnamed sources are quoted as saying, "Conservatives in media? That'd just be, uh, wacky."

* phrase coined by Atrios

In the latest iteration of empty-headed, blaming the victim, Whistling Past Dixie rhetoric, John Aravosis of Americablog attempts to blame global warming on (get this) The South:

It's therefore funny, yet again, that the conservative South is shooting itself in the foot by siding with politicians (that would be Republicans) who deny the existence of global warming. Why? Because according to a new study, America's South will be among the world's regions worst hit by the impact of global warming on local agriculture.

I guess that the logic is something along the lines of, "Once the catastrophe sets in, you'll only have yourselves to blame for the disastrous effects because you elected Republicans." Or something.

But still. Huh. It's funny? Really? Well, you should let the citizens of Orme, TN in on the joke. Or maybe the residents of Atlanta, GA could stand a chuckle. How many Democrats make a living in the South by farming? Hm? It's funny that they would lose their way of living? It's funny that America might come up short in agricultural products, forcing the prices up for everybody in the country? And better yet, it's the fault of the worst victims of the global catastrophe?

The South is already suffering through one of the worst droughts in recent memory, so the impact of global warming is very, very real - lest we forget the very real victims of [global warming-accelerated] Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

I fail to get the joke here. Someone clue me in, please. What's so funny?

But before you do that, witness the following graphic:

Point-source 2002 CO2 Production from Power Plants, by state:

(source: The Commission for Environmental Cooperation - click pic for larger capture)

And let's not get into single-driver statistics for the top metro areas in the north versus south. Suffice it to say that the combined daily internal combustion totals from the blue MSA's of Chicago, NYC, Washington DC, Boston, Pittsburgh, and Detroit comprise a significant daily contribution to the global warming problem.

You have here identified a national problem. It requires a national solution.

Blaming our fellow citizens (who the author doesn't happen to like, presumably because of some deeply personal issue advocacy) for something that's going to take international cooperation is silly, short-sighted, and just plain not in keeping with the facts.

Oh, wait. Did the states above the Mason-Dixon suddenly stop producing CO2?

I'll make you a deal: We'll stop electing retards if you stop releasing greenhouse gases.

This facile "**** the South" fable might be an easy screed to toss on the blog for a quickie, and it's comforting red-meat for certain of our more narrow-minded citizens, but it's just not in keeping with reality:

We all have a burden to bear in this crisis.

OK, then.

(P.S. Al Gore - who won his Nobel Prize for his work on global warming - is from the South. I'm sure the irony isn't lost.)

edited slightly for clarity

Red Pickup, Red Pickup, wherefore art thou, Red Pickup?

Republican presidential hopeful Fred Thompson brushed off concerns Thursday about his single-digit showings in recent Iowa and New Hampshire polls, saying he expects a new television ad on immigration will help boost his numbers.

Um, Fred? Mitt Romney beat you to it. Hell, so did Tom Tancredo.

Latino voters are the fastest growing bloc in the country, and despite the GOP making inroads with them a few scant years ago, they're doing what they can to alienate (literally) this segment of the population.

Good work. Keep it up, y'all.

"So you've just got to do what you do and keep at it and understand that the end of the day is all that counts," he said.

CBS/New York Times polls in Iowa and New Hampshire show Thompson at 9 and 5 percent for Republicans, respectively. Mitt Romney leads both states with 34 percent in New Hampshire and 27 percent in Iowa.

This Yogi Berra act fools no one. Thompson discusses how Iowa can change political fortunes a la Howard Dean. That cuts both ways, Mr. Hopeful. Iowa might be the Dean Scream of your fumbling and stumbling bid.

FACT: There are about 10 primary states that come before Tennessee on "Super Duper Tuesday," where Tennessee will be virtually lost in a field of 20 states up for grabs. A thirty point spread is a lot to make up by 3 Jan 2008, and a "me too" ad campaign on immigration (where Romney has the established lead) may not be enough of a differentiator.

The TN Bush Dog Watch continues...

A law that would make it illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of sexual orientation passed the House today, 235-184. Twenty five Democrats voted against the measure.

...and among the "Nays on Gays" Democratic Tennessee coalition:

Bart Gordon, Lincoln Davis, John Tanner (and let's go ahead and include Heath Schuler, former Tennessee resident turned NC legislator).

Jim Cooper had the sense to vote on the correct side, in favor of this bill. Steve Cohen went so far as to co-sponsor it.

The others, well - these legislators voted to protect discrimination.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act had language in it which would specifically exclude "marriage" from consideration - this was a bill intended to end the practice of terminating someone's employment or limiting their professional growth because of their sexual orientation. The GOP offered several parliamentary maneuvers in a (failed) effort to keep the bill from a roll call vote.

The bill advances to the Senate. Presumably, if it passes the Senate, Bush will veto it in order to keep this sort of discrimination legal.

(Contact information for your Tennessee legislators is provided here. See the frame on the right-hand side of this page.)

Proposed reforms to the 2005 bankruptcy bill might make matters easier for honest Tennesseans caught up in the subprime morass:

The reason the subprime mortgage meltdown is so problematic is because homeowners can't renegotiate mortgages for primary residences in bankruptcy court. If you declare bankruptcy, you still can't get out from under your mortgage debt, which essentially enslaves people whose home value has dropped lower than their debt amount.

The good news is that Brad Miller, Linda T. Sánchez, Barney Frank, and Mel Watt have a bill in Congress that empowers bankruptcy courts to restructure mortgages for primary residences. ... It's a very sane and reasonable approach that lets people declare bankruptcy and get our from under horrific levels of debt.

Um, BUT:

The interesting news is that 16 fellow Democrats are opposing this bill because it will impact the Bankruptcy Bill provisions they passed in 2005.

In a letter, they insist that:

...we respectfully urge you to refrain from moving forward on legislation amending BAPCPA [Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act] until additional data is available regarding its effects, until its regulatory implementation has been completed, and until the judicial branch has provided greater clarity with regard to the manner in which its provisions are to be interpreted and enforced.

(In other words, despite a mounting fiscal emergency impacting hundreds of Tennessee homeowners, let's be sure that a few donors that wrote the bankruptcy reform law get their money's worth.)

Among signatories to this letter:

Tennessee's very own Lincoln Davis, John Tanner, Bart Gordon.

It gets better...

Buried on page 12A in the USA Today:

Meanwhile, Bush reached an unwelcome record. By 64%-31%, Americans disapprove of the job he is doing. For the first time in the history of the Gallup Poll, 50% say they "strongly disapprove" of the president. Richard Nixon had reached the previous high, 48%, just before an impeachment inquiry was launched in 1974.

Bush hatred has gone mainstream.

UPDATE: Congratulations to the governor-elect of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Steve Beshear.

On this election day, looks like our neighbors to the north are set to turn a different shade of Kentucky blue:

The Courier-Journal Bluegrass Poll released Wednesday found that [Democratic candidate Steve] Beshear has a 23-point lead over [incumbent Ernie] Fletcher, a Republican. Beshear led 56 percent to 33 percent among likely voters. Ten percent were undecided.

Beshear's lead in a Bluegrass poll taken in September was 20 points.

This despite desperate 11th hour ploys such as Pat Boone robocalls and putting up a Ten Commandments display in the Kentucky capitol building.

Yes, Ernie Fletcher's administration is circling the bowl and leaving skidmarks. And we can thank Republican corruption for making it possible:

In May, Attorney General Greg Stumbo began investigating whether rank-and-file state jobs were being filled based on political affiliations rather than the merit of candidates, as the law requires.

Since then, 14 current and former members of Fletcher's administration have been indicted, most on misdemeanor violations of the Merit System law. In August, Fletcher pardoned the first nine who were indicted and said it covered any criminal activity in the administration that might be investigated by the grand jury.

Among those to be indicted and pardoned was former Kenton County Judge-Executive Dick Murgatroyd, who served as Fletcher's deputy chief of staff. He later was among nine indicted officials who Fletcher asked to resign.

A co-worker directed me to this document from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. The critical situations in Monteagle, Normandy Reservoir, Orme, and Pikeville are all highlighted.

In the midst of the southeast's ongoing water crisis, President Bush saw fit to veto the Water Resources Development Act.

Criticism is coming from the Republican camp on this issue.

"I'm disappointed the President vetoed the Water Resources Development Act which is critical to Tennessee's water infrastructure - from keeping Wolf Creek Dam safe to providing clean drinking water in small towns like Blaine, Tn. In fact, this bill would help repair our aging dams and levees allowing us to safely store more water and reduce the negative impacts of droughts like the record-setting drought our state faces today.

[snip]

The Water Resources Development Act of 2007 authorizes funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and helps provide the Corps with the confidence to make long-term contract agreements and allocate their budget efficiently. The $23 billion bill passed the House by a vote of 381 to 40, and passed the Senate by a vote of 81 to 12.

I applaud and join in Sen. Alexander and Sen. Corker's joint criticism of the President. Failing to fund dam restoration could have dire consequences for our state. (Let no one say that "no one could have anticipated" a crisis should the worst come to pass.)

Nashville hosts one of the largest expatriate Kurdish populations in the country.

Indeed, "Music City" is better known in this part of town as Little Kurdistan, home to the nation's largest Kurdish population, estimated at about 7,000.

Much of the country expressed surprise when Nashville became one of five U.S. cities chosen to hold balloting for this weekend's Iraqi elections. (The others: Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and Detroit, which has the nation's largest Iraqi Arab population.) Kurds here not only are largely thriving, but their presence is something longtime locals eagerly point to as a sign of the town's latest coming of age.

And they're none too happy with the actions of our longstanding NATO ally, Turkey.

Understandably so.