When I was a senior in high school I participated in the model united nations program. As thousands of students do each year, I chose a country to represent as part of the student program. In my case I chose Norway, the home of my mother's ancestors. I was very excited to receive mailings from the Norwegian embassy, which I diligently researched in order to accurately represent my country of choice. Sitting in our high school library we passed resolutions to abide by strategic arms control and non-proliferation issues.

We had an opportunity to speak with James Carville for a few minutes before his keynote address at the Knox County Truman Day Dinner tonight. Here's what he had to say...

The most encouraging chart you're likely to see today, if you're a Democrat.

I have just received word from the Director of Online Communications for the Democratic National Convention Committee that KnoxViews/TennViews has been selected as the official credentialed Tennessee blog for the August 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Part of the deal is that yours truly will be seated alongside the Tennessee delegation on the convention floor ("one of the best seats in the house") to live-blog the greatest political event in recent history.

Developing...

UPDATE: DNC Chairman Governor Dean Announces Blogs Selected For 2008 Democratic National Convention 'State Blogger Corps'

"Similar to the record-breaking voter turnout our Party has seen during the primary season, the demand for these coveted blogger positions is yet another indicator of the tremendous interest in this historic Convention," said Governor Dean. "The Internet has played a critical role in connecting Americans to elected officials and candidates seeking office. The DemConvention State Blogger Corps will continue to foster this dialogue - in all 50 of our states and our territories too - as we head towards this year's historic election and elect a Democrat to the White House."

Follow the link for the full press release and list of blogs.

UPDATE: Square State, the official Colorado blog, interviews Howard Dean about the State Blogger Corps.

UPDATE: Howard Dean welcomes state bloggers:

What's up with this?

Freshman Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee watched his average net worth slide from $78.1 million to a negative $1.8 million.

There's this comment on that:

Bill Allison, the Sunlight Foundation senior fellow who led the research, noted that members of Congress who sink into debt are worth watching because they could be ``more open to temptation'' and ``more likely to deal with special interests.''

Members of Congress are due to file their 2007 financial statements this week.

I guess we'll see if Corker bounced back. If so, how did he do that? On the Speaking tour with Clinton?

Michael Silence confirms apology posted on a blog without attribution.

Bob Tuke is marching across the state of Tennessee (wearing his Marine combat boots from Vietnam) to meet and talk with voters and to emphasize the need for someone in Congress who has "fought in combat and understands the difficulty of ending a war with minimal casualties and maximum honor."

He also intends to highlight the natural beauty of our state and our obligation to be good stewards of the environment, and to demonstrate his commitment to the voters of Tennessee.

Read the full press release after the jump...

Other things that were interesting:

Voters are more uncomfortable with an old person than they are with a Woman in the Presidency. (34% to 17%)

Voters are slightly more uncomfortable with a woman than they are with a black person in the Presidency. (17% - 16%)

Other projections show Tennessee going solidly for McCain, even in the best case scenario for the Democrats. We ARE the firewall state for the neo-cons.

Link...

Democratic Senate candidate Bob Tuke's campaign remarks on Sen. Alexander's energy proposals:

Nashville: Senator Alexander has attempted to reinvent himself and his anti-environmental voting record with his proposal for a "Manhattan Project" on alternative energy sources, an election year stunt aimed at covering up the truth about Senator Alexander's close ties and vested interests with Big Oil.

Rest of the press release after the jump...

They're kidding, right?

GoldnI endorses an idea proposed by MSNBC's Chuck Todd on how to deal with the Michigan and Florida Democratic Primary delegates.

The idea is to seat the elected delegates but not the superdelegates, thus penalizing party leadership in those states (who some could argue allowed this to happen) but not the voters. That almost sounds like a reasonable solution.

GoldnI notes the problem with Michigan, however, where Obama wasn't on the ballot. If I recall correctly, the choices were Clinton v. "uncommitted." The simple solution would be to allow the Michigan "uncommitted" delegates to vote for whoever they want.

I am in a state of deep confusion and conflict. Now, the confusion part is not new ground for me but this whole thing is interesting and so typical of my (right now) home of Louisiana, I thought I would post this just for ##i## and grins. The Legislature of Louisiana is mad at the newspapers. Not a unique situation, the Lege is usually mad at someone or something but right now it is newspapers in general and the Baton Rouge and Lake Charles papers in particular.

North Carolina and Indiana primary reaction from Tennessee progressive bloggers:

WhitesCreek Journal: Congratulations! Obama will be the Democratic Nominee

Obama ran a positive campaign against a formidible opponent who did not...and has won.

Nashville for the 21st Century: Will Limbaugh Win?

If Hillary wins by 10-15,000 votes, I think it becomes much easier to see the effect of Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos" on the Democratic race.

Sharoncobb: Hillary Won't Appear On Talk Shows Today, And Has Only One Public Appearance. Why Her Campaign Is Over

Hillary will probably quit going negative, and in an ironic twist, will stay in the race because she doesn't want to make Obama look bad by dropping out and him possibly losing Kentucky and West Virginia without her in the race.

Today she'll be meeting with her closest advisers planning her exit strategy. She will most likely stay in the race through May 20 or June 3, but will start winding down and start uniting the party.

Silence Isn't Golden: The Post-Mortem

But as far as a Presidential race is concerned, it's over. Hillary is now the post-Super Tuesday Mike Huckabee--she may win a few more contests, but there is no chance of her winning the nomination now. I would like her to drop out tomorrow, but I have no illusions that she'll do so. Her window to win it via superdelegate coup is narrowing too, because there's no reason for undecided superdelegates not to back Obama now. He recovered from losing Pennsylvania. He weathered the Wright debacle. He wasn't hurt by his refusal to pander on the gas tax issue. Hillary's "electability" argument lost a lot of air tonight.

Clinton's done | KnoxViews

OK, then.

10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: NC, IN

Oh, please, let this be the night that puts us all out of our misery. UPDATE: Clinton has cancelled all public events for tomorrow (except for a fundraiser tomorrow night).

Vibinc: PRIMARY THAT WILL NEVER END - liveblog - Updated with Cookies

Harold Ickes warns of Obama October Surprise. His argument is that we just don't know enough about Obama, but Hillary has been out there for years and is safe. Puhhhhleeeze! Hang it up Harry. Chances are, you're not getting paid either.

UPDATE: Tennessee Guerilla Women: Indiana/NC Primary Drama: Brazile and Begala Slug It Out On CNN (Video)

But the real drama was at CNN where Campbell Brown actually challenged Donna Brazile's sham of a "neutral" position. The whole world knows that Donna is an Obambot, yet the Democratic Party leader continues the sham of appearing on CNN as a neutral commentator. With leadership like Brazile's, little wonder the Democratic Party appears to be "cracking up." At one point Brazile seemed to suggest that the new Democratic Party of Blacks and elite liberals (eggheads and African-Americans) doesn't really need working class and Hispanic voters.

The Tennessean

"The blatant prosecutorial misconduct in this case shows two things," Gilbert S. Merritt, the presiding judge on the panel, said in an interview after the ruling.

"First, the local district attorney in East Tennessee should never have prosecuted House in the first place, but certainly should have released him more than 10 years ago once he received the exculpatory DNA evidence.

"Second, the local district attorneys, rather than the Attorney General or the Governor, exercise almost complete control over the system of criminal justice in Tennessee.

"They are frequently mistaken and frequently abuse their power," Merritt said.

Flashback: Nashville Scene, 2005.

The next general meeting of the Sumner County Democratic Party will be Saturday, May 10, 9:30am in the cafeteria at the Billy S. Hobbs Municipal Center, 105 College Street in White House. This is a joint meeting with the Robertson County Democratic Party. Continental breakfast will be available. Former House Majority Leader Kim McMillan will be our guest. Kim has formed an exploratory committee in preparation for a possible run for governor in 2010. She is touring the state to get input from Tennesseans. Here is your chance to let her know what is on your mind as we look to continue Democrats' legacy of good government in Tennessee. Of course our candidates for state office will be available to listen to your concerns. Come meet Andy Allman, Mike McDonald and Jim Hawkins. Rep. Bob Bibb from Springfield is also scheduled to attend. For more info contact stillblue@sumnerdems.org

Tennessean: Senator discloses AT&T link after vote

What Ketron didn't mention then was that his wife, Theresa, works for AT&T Mobility, the company's wireless unit, which he had noted on his ethics disclosures this year. Nor did Ketron mention the tie when he acted as an unofficial spokesman for behind-the-scenes wrangling over the bill earlier this year.

[..] Ketron said beforehand that he planned to invoke the rule, and he did, though not from the floor. He declared it after the vote with the Senate clerk's office. Ketron said he forgot to declare Rule 13 earlier amid his excitement over passing the bill.

The article lists other legislators with ties to AT&T, some of whom recused themselves from the vote.

But all that sounds somewhat sounds trivial compared with AT&T's connections to Bredesen and Jimmy Naifeh, who shepherded the bill through. From WBIR:

AT&T has a small army of registered lobbyists -- 28 in all, according to Tennessee Ethics Commission records. Among them is Naifeh's wife, Betty Anderson. Though registered with the state, Anderson cannot lobby for the franchising legislation, according to AT&T.

The company has also enlisted 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; and Anna Windrow, Bredesen's former senior adviser.

AT&T also employs Bob Corney, Bredesen's former communications chief, as a spokesman, and Dave Cooley, Bredesen's former deputy governor, as a consultant.

The article also talks about nine lobbyists for the cable companies, some of whom also have Bredesen ties.

At any rate, AT&T has been pretty successful doing business in Tennessee. Does this mean I might get DSL soon? I've been waiting four years.

That's Two dead women connected with this very Republican scandal, and Senator David Vitter is still in office.

Let the Conspiracy Games begin!

You need a flowchart to follow this drama in the House as Republicans attempted to pull the SJR127 anti-abortion bill up for a vote. The attempt failed. It's deja vu all over again.

Ideas and policies from the days of Jimmy Carter on energy independence and a massive push for development of alternate energy sources are all the rage again. It's worth noting that Carter's Energy Security Act of 1980 was dismantled within a few months by President Reagan. As fuel and oil prices fell, zero plans for the future were made, even with the creation of the Department of Energy in the late 1970s. The real cost of ignoring energy needs for the future is being calculated today and it will burn into every layer of our economy and into every lifestyle.

Carter's speech from the summer of 1979 echoes all the rhetoric today: reducing imports, a brand new research and development of alternate fuels, a new commitment, windfall profits taxation, and on and on.

Current programs enacted by President Bush now have energy needs and food needs competing. As R. Neal posted yesterday, it seems more a backward movement than forward. Today's Washington Post reports on the corn as fuel and corn as food battle.

As much as the leadership in Washington is to blame for abandoning real solutions over the last 30 years, we have to blame ourselves too - for letting them slide and for indulging ourselves even more and for increasing our reliance on the commercial structures which have expanded our needs for energy.

I keep hearing the Narrator's lines in the opening of the post-apocalyptic movie "The Road Warrior":

"To understand who he was, you have to go back to another time. When the world was powered by the black fuel. And the desert sprouted great cities of pipe and steel. Gone now, swept away. For reasons long forgotten, two mighty warrior tribes went to war and touched off a blaze which engulfed them all. Without fuel, they were nothing. They built a house of straw. The thundering machines sputtered and stopped. Their leaders talked and talked and talked. But nothing could stem the avalanche ... On the roads it was a white line nightmare ... In the roar of an engine, he lost everything. And became a shell of a man, a burnt out, desolate man, a man haunted by the demons of his past, a man who wandered out into the wasteland."

The State of Tennessee House Budget subcommittee of the Finance, Ways,and Means Committee has HB1256 on their April 30, 2008 agenda.

HB1256:

Election Laws - Requires any voting system purchased after the effective date of this act to provide the ballot of record be a paper ballot marked by the voter with appropriate accommodation for persons with disabilities; requires such ballot to be available to voter to verify the vote; requires that secrecy of the voter's choice be maintained. - Amends TCA Title 2.

Sharon Cobb has a list of the House Budget subcommittee memeber to contact in support of the bill.

Mike Padgett says Senator Alexander is engaging in election-year grandstanding about gas prices:

"In five years as a United States senator, he has done nothing that would prevent the pain we’re feeling now at the pump," Padgett said after Senator Alexander announced that he would propose a "Manhattan Project-style" effort to break U.S. energy dependence on foreign producers.

"This is nothing more than an election-year re-invention for Senator Alexander.

"When Democrats put a strong energy bill on the table last year, he made a lot of noise about how he was for its 35 mpg requirement, then he stepped right in line with the White House and threatened to stop the bill in its tracks if it ended tax breaks to Big Oil.

"And if he is really a champion of clean energy, why has he led the charge against wind energy? Meanwhile, he is a big fan of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

"Tennessee voters are too smart to be fooled by this pandering. I ask them to stand with me, and when it comes time to vote on energy legislation, I will stand with them, not the oil industry."

Mike Padgett is exactly right about Alexander's election year pandering.

But Padgett's thoughts on energy policy at his website are a little short-sighted, being focused mainly on the price of gas (which is already artificially low) and helping out Tennessee's farmers by replacing oil with biofuel from corn and soybeans and switchgrass.

We used to feed grains to our horses. Feeding them to our cars is a step back 100 years into the past. Switchgrass is marginally better. But we need to get beyond internal combustion and burning up our natural resources (including topsoil) and competing with our cars for food.

But at least Padgett has thoughts. Bob Tuke does not address energy policy at all on his website.

Democrats are going to have to bring their A game to compete with the GOP machine against Lamar Alexander.

That said, either Democrat will improve by an order of magnitude our current Tennessee Senate delegation, and help give us a fighting chance to start undoing eight years of catastrophic Bush/GOP/Big Oil energy policy.

Bob Tuke, candidate for U.S. Senate, notes that Thursday is the fifth anniversary of Bush's "Mission Accomplished" stunt carrier landing and costume photo event, wonders what mission Bush and his allies in Congress have accomplished? Tuke notes a few accomplishments...

And, he proposes a $3.6 trillion tax increase to pay for it.

Knoxville Talks says that Stacey Campfield says that "VERY reliable sources" say that Bredesen says that he's on Obama's short list for Vice President.

The TN House gives the big middle finger to local government and passes the AT&T cable bill, proving once again that bad legislation can be bought for the right price in Tennessee.

Does this mean I might at least get DSL now? I've only been waiting four years.

A press release from the The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) today says that Microsoft has been named as the Official Software and HD Web Content Provider for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, to be held August 25-28 in Denver.

According to the DNCC, Microsoft will provide software and technology to "enhance engagement with Web viewers, delegates, members of the media and other Convention guests and to support delegate tracking, voting and the management of credentials."

The voting system will provide "up-to-the-minute delegate vote totals electronically to the Office of the Secretary of the Democratic National Committee, allowing timely reporting of vote tallies as compiled by each delegation's Chair."

Microsoft will also monitor the DNCC's "greening" efforts by "tracking the company's carbon footprint for Convention-related energy consumption." The DNCC has pledged to apply "sustainable planning principles to every decision in the lead-up to the four-day event."

"Ignore the Corporate Media spin, McCain is a weak candidate," Frank Rich in the NY Times

When the primary juggernaut finally ends — following picturesque day trips to Puerto Rico and Guam — the superdelegates will likely succumb to the math of Mr. Obama’s virtually insurmountable pledged-delegate total.

There’s also a way that two super-superdelegates, the duo on the Democrats’ last winning ticket, could trigger a faster finale. Bill Clinton could do so by undermining his wife once more with another ill-timed, red-faced eruption. Al Gore could possibly do so with a well-timed endorsement before his party gets mired in yet another Florida recount.

There’s only one way this can end badly, no matter how long it lasts. That would be if the loser, whoever it is, turns sore and fails to rally his or her troops around the winner.

The Sunday "why aren't you wearing a flag pin?" edition of the TennViews intermittently weekly blog roundup showcasing the best bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about...

• 55-40 Memphis: I'm a Hillary-hater now

• BlountViews: Republican County Mayor charges Sunshine Law violation against commissioners helping citizen investigate county finances. Plus: Local paper discovers blogs, interviews yours truly.

• Carole Borges: Hillary please do go gently into that good night

• The Crone Speaks: Abstinence Only Doesn't Work, and Barrack’s Senior Problem

• Cup of Joe Powell: Search For Terrorism in TN Nets Seatbelt Violations , plus: this is not a pipe.

• The Donkey's Mouth: Tennessee's Republican Congressional delegation votes against Medicaid Safety Net, TN GOP doesn't get the memo and blames Bredesen.

• Enclave: Beth Harwell has no interest in protecting Tennessee kids from dangerous toys (wonder why?), and any effort to regulate dangerous toys at the state level usurps the federal government's right to not regulate dangerous toys.

• Fletch: See Chattanooga on a Segway, plus Temple of the Gods: When the temple is occupied, the gods will command a magnificent air-conditioned vista of downtown, the Tennessee River, and Lookout Mountain, while processing the paperwork and making life and death financial and health decisions for the mere mortals down below who pay their tithes to the gods.

• KnoxViews: Straight talk about real life, plus McCain wins Pennsylvania primary. Bonus: KnoxViews voted best local blog by Metro Pulse alt-weekly readers. (Instapundit was a runner up.)

• Lean Left: McCain Opposed To New Benefits for Veterans, plus: Lean Left: You don't stop doing business with Pizza Hut because you don't like their corporate policies. You stop doing business with Pizza Hut because they have sh**ty pizza.

• Left of the Dial: No Deal

• Left Wing Cracker: It's time for some MISSIONARY work, my Democratic brothers and sisters, plus: Democrats for LAMAR!

• Liberadio: Steve Gill’s Gas Problem, and Phil Valentine’s Lying Problem

• NewsComa: Now famous in Pakistan.

• Progressive Nashville: Lamar Alexander Votes To Deny Justice to Tennessee Workers: Alexander and Corker both feel safe in their seats, so they had the freedom to vote party line over common sense. They should both be ashamed. Plus: What do coral snake bites and German rooftops have in common? Hint: the so-called free market.

• Resonance: Is Conspicuous Consumption Out? Plus, People Get Outraged Over The Silliest Things: And somewhere near the bottom of the list would be the horror of having my precious snowflake exposed to a few seconds of Spanish over the school public address system one day a year.

• RoaneViews: Becky Ruppe Officially announced her campaign for State Senator

• Russ McBee: McCain's Pander Bus stops in New Orleans, lies to the Lower 9th. Plus: happy blogiversary!

• Sean Braisted: Let the Caveats Begin: John McCain is backtracking on his tough talk over earmarks... Plus: Willie Horton Part Deux

• Sharon Cobb: Reverend Jeremiah Wright Gives First Interview: I bring all of this up to underscore how much your average white person does not know about the black churches, and how Rev. Wright is going to get his words twisted. Plus: Hillary Clinton Runs Her Campaign Like A Republican, And It Will Backfire

• Silence Isn't Golden: Dear Senator Obama: Hi. I know you're busy right now, and you've got a lot on your mind. But if you can spare a few minutes, then for God's sake, call this woman! Bonus: Awesome spring break, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. (And the amazing thing is, she still found time to blog for Obama!)

• Southern Beale: Rep. Jim Cooper recounts an embarrassing trip aboard Air Force One ("These are astronaut mattresses!") Plus: Back to the Kitchen!

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Chelsea Clinton at Duke On Hillary's Position On Feminist Issues: In the video clip below, Chelsea Clinton campaigns at North Carolina's Duke University (on Equal Pay Day) and points out that numerous feminist, um, human rights bills fail to pass in even a Democratic Congress. Plus: NY Times Whines: Hillary Made Politics Mean!

• TennViews: Democratic Convention 101, Plus: Fight higher grocery prices: Buy local

• Vibinc: Harrowing Healthcare Hedge, And: Whiners and Hand Wringers

• Whites Creek Journal: No She Can't: Ohmygod!!! Obama is Willard Scott! Plus: Pictures from the Morning Hike: My yard is a bit unusual, lying in three counties and two time zones, and having over 800 feet of elevation change from bottom to top.

• Women's Health News: Drug-Addicted Women Need Medical Care, Not Jail Plus: Happy Earth Day - Alternative & Reusable Menstrual Products

UPDATE: Also, Don Williams.

The law would only allow the sale of cigarettes made with paper that self-extinguishes if left untouched by the smoker. Supporters say they reduce the risk of accidental fires.

Um, thank you for caring?

Nashville Scene: Confederacy of Dunces: A weekly roundup of embarrassing behavior

Pith in the Wind: What it's really all about is politics. Republicans would love to stick an abortion referendum on the 2010 ballot to boost turnout for the next governor's election.

Plus: Trouble in toyland, regarding Rep. Beth Harwell's battle against Democrats (and one Republican) in the Tennessee Senate who want to ensure the safety of toys her company imports from China.