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:

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mike Padgett, Tennessee candidate for U.S. Senate, says "some Senate Republicans are playing a game of one-upmanship with the GI Bill’s educational benefits for veterans."

"They were called out for not supporting Senator Jim Webb’s bipartisan plan – which would guarantee veterans the college education they deserve," Padgett said. "Then, and only then, did a group of Republicans, including Senator John McCain and Senator Alexander, slap together a proposal.

"And it falls short of guaranteeing that veterans won’t have to worry about tuition costs if they want a college education after their active-duty service."

Senator Webb’s plan, co-sponsored by Republican Senator John Warner, would guarantee a veteran full tuition at a public college or university in his or her state following 36 months of active duty. The McCain proposal would only pay a fixed amount regardless of whether it covers full tuition.

Padgett praised the GOP bill’s provision that would allow a veteran to transfer his or her benefits to a spouse or child.

"But why not just get on board with Senator Webb and Senator Warner and work together to come up with what’s best for veterans and their families?

"I am offering Tennessee voters an alternative to this kind of political game-playing with the future of our veterans, our heroes. Stand with me, and I’ll work to solve problems, without the political marksmanship."

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."

Southern Beale: Instead, McCain says women need "more training and education."

Superdelegate Rep. John Tanner (TN-8) has endorsed Hillary Clinton. Post Politics has the press release.

The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) has launched Convention 101, a website that explains the nominating process that will take place leading up to and at the Denver convention (August 25-28, 2008 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado).

It's presented in a tutorial format. Lesson one is "Convention Lead-up," and lesson two is "At the Convention." There are "extra credit" sections covering topics such as "What is a superdelegate?"

Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC says:

"Not only will our Convention be technically flawless, but the rules and Party business conducted in the lead-up to and during Convention week will be open, orderly and credible.

DemConvention.com will be a tremendous resource for those interested in the significant amount of Party business that sits at the core of every Convention. I think this new content makes clear our goal is to run this Convention as a well-oiled machine, while producing an engaging celebration of the strength of the Democratic Party, the diversity we embrace, the values we share and the change we will accomplish on behalf of the American people."

Convention 101 has everything you could possibly want to know about the delegate selection process, standing committees, what goes on at the convention, the voting process (did you know that "pledged" delegates aren't really?), and lots more.

With neither candidate on track to get the 2025 delegates needed in primary voting, the outcome will likely be decided at the August convention. Convention 101 explains how.

Tuke calls Sen. Alexander's bluff and wants to see his hole card, over at the Huffington Post...

Clem Guttata at West Virginia Blue has a great post with 10 tips for driving traffic to your campaign website.

Most of these apply to any website.

(In addition to these great tips, consider making sure your TennViews candidate page is up to date.)

Bob Tuke's senate campaign has released its first quarter fundraising report. The report notes that with Tuke's late entry, the campaign only had 27 fundraising days, but the results are impressive:

• Total Dollars Raised to Date: $264,633.33
• Number of Donors: 569
• Percentage of Money Raised Online: 17%
• Percentage Contributed by Individuals: 99%
• Total Reported on 1st Quarter FEC Report: $225,533.33

The campaign also announced the latest endorsements for Bob Tuke, which include Senator John Kerry, General Wesley Clark, Joe Haynes, TN State Senator and Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, Gary Odom, TN State Representative and House Majority Leader, Lois DeBerry, TN State Representative and Speaker Pro Tempore, and State Representatives Charles Curtiss, Brenda Gilmore, Bill Harmon, Mary Pruitt, Johnny Shaw, David Shepard, Janis Sontany, Mike Turner, and Eddie Yokley.

Commemorating tax day, Bob Tuke also notes some facts about the Republican record on taxes which Sen. Lamar Alexander has supported.

• The typical tax payer in America is responsible for $1,085 to pay the interest on the Federal debt. The tab for the War in Iraq is $593 for the typical taxpayer.

• Last year, taxpayers spent more on tax breaks to millionaires than hospital and health care for veterans or K-12 education funding.

• For every $1 in tax relief to the middle class, $108 was given to millionaires.

• Bush's budget calls for continuing these failed tax policies. In fact, he's calling for another $1.2 trillion to be given back to the wealthiest 1% of American households.

• One of Bush's top economic advisors said of their tax record, there is "no credible evidence" that "tax revenues rise in the face of lower tax rates." (The Hamilton Project 9/6/07)

Meanwhile, Sen. Lamar Alexander has today called for a "flat tax" of 17%. Of course Sen. Alexander would prefer to pay only half of what he pays now. Who wouldn't? The problem is that he wants middle class working families to make up the difference by paying more.

Fayette County attorney Steve Butler issued the following statement today announcing his withdrawal from the race for the Democratic nomination in Tennessee Senate District 26:

"While I was excited about the campaign and committed to serving the people of Senate District 26, I think it is of the utmost importance for the Democratic Party to unite behind one candidate. Randy Camp now has my full and enthusiastic support, and he has the support of all the people across the district that were committed to me.

"As of today, we are a united party, determined to continue the legendary service of Lieutenant Governor John Wilder. I appreciate the help and friendship of the people of the 26th District, and I look forward to electing Randy Camp to the Tennessee Senate."

Tom Humphrey handicaps the races for the Tennessee House and Senate.

Here's a database of every candidate for the Tennessee August state and federal primaries:

http://www.tennviews.com/tn08aug

You can filter the list by office, district, and/or party. Candidate listings include links to district maps, campaign websites, emails, and campaign finance disclosures that we could find, along with links to search Google news, websites, and blogs.

We will be updating it over the next few weeks. If you have any updates, additions or corrections please submit them to rneal@rviews.com.

It's where we are headed:

Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since the New York Times/CBS News poll began asking about the subject in the early 1990s, according to the latest poll.

In the poll, 81 percent of respondents said they believed “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track,” up from 69 percent a year ago and 35 percent in early 2002.

Senator McCain's cunning plan to run on four more years of the Bush agenda is definitely a brilliant strategy.

Party insiders hint that Democrat Randy Nichols, currently Knox County DA, is considering a run for State Senate against incumbent State Senator Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville) in the 6th District. Developing...

Former Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman and Nashville attorney Bob Tuke announces his bid for U.S. Senate:

It's official. I am a candidate to replace Lamar Alexander in the U.S. Senate. I have filed my paperwork and I am raising money. I'm also assembling a team of top-notch consultants with vast experience at turning "Red States" into "Blue States."

Tuke has named Ben Chao as his Campaign Manager, and has retained Joe Trippi for Media and Internet consulting.

Chao has national campaign experience, most recently as Bill Richardson’s National Political Director.

The Tuke campaign's political advisor is Stephen Lindsey, former Tennessee Director for the John Kerry presidential campaign and former Deputy Director of the Tennessee Democratic Party.

According to her bio, fundraising consultant Cathy Thomas has worked with "some of the biggest names in Tennessee politics, including Phil Bredesen, Ned Ray McWherter, Al Gore, John Tanner, Lincoln Davis, Jim Cooper, Bob Clement, Roy Herron and Rosalind Kurita, among others."

By way of editorial comment, Bob Tuke has lined up a pretty impressive campaign team. We wonder if this introduces a new dynamic that helps "upticket" in interesting and unexpected ways, given that neither Clinton nor Obama is likely to spend much time campaigning in Tennessee. There's no doubt that a spirited campaign run by some pro heavy hitters will help downticket. Especially with TNGOP's Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs helping out.

Full press release after the jump...

This is pretty low, even for Bill Hobbs:

The state GOP on Monday issued a press release under the headline "Anti-Semites for Obama" that begins:

"The Tennessee Republican Party today joins a growing chorus of Americans concerned about the future of the nation of Israel, the only stable democracy in the Middle East, if Sen. Barack Hussein Obama is elected president of the United States."

The release cites Obama's support from Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan and other controversial figures.

So when will the TNGOP denounce and reject support from white supremacist groups and abortion clinic bombers?

UPDATE: The Donkey's Mouth has more.

UPDATE: Where do they get this stuff?

UPDATE: Sen. John McCain denounces the TNGOP press release.

UPDATE: Sen. Lamar Alexander demands the press release be taken down.

UPDATE: Even KARL ROVE tried to warn them.

UPDATE: The Politico reports that the RNC Threatens TN GOP

UPDATE: Some Tennessee liberal bloggers react:

• Archcrone: The Bigotry of the TNGOP

• Joe Powell: TN GOP Spokesman Bill Hobbs Implodes

• Newscoma: Dear TN GOP Party (and you, Bill Hobbs)

• Progressive Nashville: Sleezy politics by TNGOP

• Russ McBee: A note to Bill Hobbs

The Donkey's Mouth deconstructs TN GOP talking points re. superdelegates.

As another observation, a lot of folks I talked to complained about the several pages of GOP delegates they had to wade through (names they'd never heard of) to get to local races in the Feb. 5th primaries. It was very confusing, especially for seniors and first time voters, and some simply gave up.

I wonder how this affected local primaries? Regardless, the vanity of having their names "on the ballot" overrides any other concerns with these Tennessee Republican insiders.

Clinton campaign chief strategist Mark Penn:

"Could we possibly have a nominee who hasn't won any of the significant states -- outside of Illinois? That raises some serious questions about Sen. Obama."

It's good to be one of the elite states.

WBIR: East Tenn's lone superdelegate will support Clinton

[Bill] Owen believes the majority of superdelegates will vote their conscience about what their constituents want and what's best for their country.

"Based on the vote of my district, my county, and my state, I feel comfortable being a Hillary Clinton-committed delegate," he said.

Katie Allison Granju at Knoxville Talks has the list. (Note: Overbey is challenging Sen. Raymond Finney in the Republican primary.)

Becky Ruppe, Democratic candidate for the District 12 seat currently held by Senator Tommy Kilby, D-Oakdale, has launched her campaign website. In 2004, Ruppe became the first woman to be elected Morgan County executive, and she was re-elected by a wide margin in 2006. Prior to becoming county executive, Ruppe served two terms on the Morgan County School Board.