November 30, 2005

LA Times Ignores Key Points of Bush's Iraq Speech

The Los Angeles Times story on President Bush's very fine speech today to graduates midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy, outlining the administration's strategy in Iraq, is filled with omissions and spin. Here are just two examples:

Regarding the training of a new Iraqi army, the LAT wrote:

During especially difficult combat operations last year in and around the insurgent stronghold of Fallouja, west of Baghdad, many Iraqi units simply melted away once the fighting began.

The progress of the Iraqi forces is especially clear when the recent anti-terrorist operations in Tal Afar are compared with last year's assault in Fallujah. In Fallujah, the assault was led by nine coalition battalions made up primarily of United States Marines and Army -- with six Iraqi battalions supporting them. The Iraqis fought and sustained casualties. Yet in most situations, the Iraqi role was limited to protecting the flanks of coalition forces, and securing ground that had already been cleared by our troops. This year in TAL Afar, it was a very different story.
The assault was primarily led by Iraqi security forces -- 11 Iraqi battalions, backed by five coalition battalions providing support. Many Iraqi units conducted their own anti-terrorist operations and controlled their own battle space -- hunting for enemy fighters and securing neighborhoods block-by-block. To consolidate their military success, Iraqi units stayed behind to help maintain law and order -- and reconstruction projects have been started to improve infrastructure and create jobs and provide hope.

Regarding the same subject of training Iraqi security forces - the centerpiece of Bush's Iraq victory strategy - the LAT wrote:

Two months ago, Army Gen. George W. Casey, commander of the multinational force in Iraq, told a Senate hearing that only one of the 100 Iraqi military battalions formed over the previous two years was fully trained and equipped and capable of operating independently.

Some critics dismiss this progress and point to the fact that only one Iraqi battalion has achieved complete independence from the coalition. To achieve complete independence, an Iraqi battalion must do more than fight the enemy on its own -- it must also have the ability to provide its own support elements, including logistics, airlift, intelligence, and command and control through their ministries. Not every Iraqi unit has to meet this level of capability in order for the Iraqi security forces to take the lead in the fight against the enemy. As a matter of fact, there are some battalions from NATO militaries that would not be able to meet this standard.

President Bush's speech was a complete and factually detailed refutation of the claims of some on the Left that we are losing in Iraq and a strong rejection of the call from the defeat-mongers of the Left for a rapid withdrawal of American forces. I recommend you read the whole thing

You also should read eveything Instapundit is linking to related to Bush's speech and the new Iraq strategy documents being released. Click here and here.

Today's Reading List

The War: U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston is blogging about his trip to Iraq over at RedState.org.

Politics: Tennessee lawmakers aren't happy that the state's health care program withheld important information that the legislature needed in creating a health care "safety net" program for people being kicked off TennCare. The question that needs to be answered: Did the executive branch order TennCare to withhold the information? ... Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh is backing a Shelby County push to give counties more taxing authority. [Hat tip: Adam Groves]

The Economy: Strong economic growth despite the hurricanes has economists calling the Bush economy "outstanding.". I blame the Bush tax cuts. .. Via Ben Cunningham, a progressive defends Wal-Mart as good for America's poor. Hey, in my experience it pretty good for the middle class, too.

Blogs: Here is a list of 117 blogs by industry analysts.

Nashville: Here's some good news for downtown Nashville. Developer Tony Giarratana's Signature Tower, a new 55-story condo tower will be a welcome addition to the Nashville skyline. The city of Nashville will allow the project $12 million in tax increment financing. TIF is one of the smartest economic development incentives ever created - it costs taxpayers nothing, since the new development often wouldn't happen without it, and yet the payback is huge.

Misc.: Bob Krumm explains his absence - and reveals his wife's name - in a post from Pearl Harbor.

Pre-Christmas Ad Sale

I've slashed prices on ad space here for the month of December. BillHobbs.com is read by approximately 30,000 different people every month - you can no reach them for pennies per impression. Non-political ads run for two weeks will get a third week free if placed by the end of the week. Click the "advertise here!" links under the ad stacks on the left and right sidebars.

November 29, 2005

Red Friday?

I just received an interesting email forwarded to me through a series of people. I'm wondering if this is a real effort. Just in case it is, I'll be wearing red on Fridays from now on.

RED FRIDAYS -- Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We are no longer silent. We are not organized, boisterous or over-bearing. Our idea of showing solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and respect starts this Friday and continues each and every Friday until the troops all come home.

If every one of us who loves this country will share this with acquaintances, co-workers, friends, and family it won't be long before the US is covered in RED. It will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is on their side more than ever, certainly more than the media lets on.

Support the troops by supporting their mission - and rejecting calls from some on the Left for America to cut and run.

UPDATE: More on the Red Fridays campaign here.

UPDATE: The phrase "silent majority" refers to the majority of Americans who supported America's military efforts in Vietnam throughout the campaign. Despite what Wikipedia says, it was not meant as an attack on the patriotism of Vietnam war opponents, but a simple statement of fact that the war in Vietnam, and the troops fighting it, had the support of a majority of the American people, despite the insistently negative portrayals of the war by the mass media and the high profile given to the anti-war and - yes - anti-troops protestors of that era.

Today's Reading List

Today's Reading List is back after an unplanned hiatus...

The War: The London Telegraph reports that Iran is secretly training Chechen rebels in sophisticated terror techniques to enable them to carry out more effective attacks against Russian forces. ... "Just as they have orchestrated attacks against British troops in Basra to pressure Britain to drop its opposition to Iran's nuclear program, so they are trying to put pressure on Moscow by backing Chechen fighters," said a senior intelligence official. And the mad mullahs of Tehran - the world's largest exporters of Islamist terror - are working feverishly to build nukes. Your best source for daily updates on Iran is the Regime Change Iran blog, which recently reported on Iran's attempt to censor blogs.

Also in war news, the Democrats have signed on to President Bush's Iraq policy, while pretending, for political reasons, to criticize it. Jon Henke explains...

Politics: The Tennessean offers up a preview of the state legislature, which convenes in six weeks (or sooner if the governor calls a special session on to reform the legislature's ethics rules). The story looks at a handful of the estimated 4,500 bills that will be introduced, including a "taxpayer's bill of rights" likely to be pushed by state Rep. Glen Casada and state Sen. Jim Bryson. I'm glad Casada and Bryson are planning to push the concept, though I'd design the legislation differently. ... Also today, the Tennessean calls for the legislature to probe the Tennessee Highway Patrol, "because it appears a climate of political patronage exists in the department." ... Also today, the Nashville City Paper reports that a certain Nashville state senator's refusal to schedule a committee hearing has put the future of dozens of state agencies in limbo.

Media: Jeff Jarvis takes on Yahoo and Google over RSS feeds - and wins. ... Adam Groves links to a piece in Roll Call (via a blog) that says 2006 will see a rise in state and local blogging Roll Call says many blogs that specialize in state or local political coverage are "starting to gain a following, not to mention the respect of state and local media outlets and politicians." ... Also worth reading today, Terry Heaton has a long essay on why media should trust its audience - and why that doesn't sit well with traditional modern media, which descended from the elitist "we know what's best for you" foundation established by its philosophical creator, Walter Lippmann.

Technology: Doug Petch looks at the slow progress of a federal program intended to encourage the growth of rural broadband in areas of the country that truly are rural.

Flickriffic

I've joined the Flickr craze. I'll be uploading more photos soon, although I only aspire to be as good a photographer as Blake Wylie.

November 28, 2005

Borderline Madness

Hossein Derakhshan, a/k/a "Hoder," the Iranian-born Canadian-citizen blogger who spoke at BlogNashville last May, has been barred from entering the U.S. for six months by, well, by one of the federal idiots in charge of our borders. The Committee to Protect Bloggers has the details and relevant links. We can't seem to stop millions of illegals coming into this country from Mexico, but Hoder - who helped foster the growth of the Iranian blogosphere that has become a bane of the Iranian regime's existence - they stop at the border.

Back Home

After 2,095 miles in a Camry rented from Hertz, and five nights in a total of four Courtyard by Marriott hotels in three different cities in two states, and way too many "meals" served on buns in a sack, it is good to be home. Thanks to my guest bloggers for keeping BillHobbs.com alive and kicking while I was gone. By the way, if you travel a lot and don't already have a Triple-A membership, get one. Ours has already almost paid for itself in savings at Hertz and at Courtyard by Marriott.

November 27, 2005

A Question of Balance

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
As we await Bill's return, I thought I'd toss in another post, so there would be at least one entry for Nov. 27. The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote in 2003.

A people can be too generous. For a number of years we've taken in 1 million legal immigrants and 800,000 to several million illegal aliens annually, far exceeding our traditional immigration levels. Immigration is the determining factor in our population growth and poverty rate, and an ignored factor in the alarming degradation of our environment. Some experts say the United States has already exceeded its sustainable population level, yet the Census Bureau's midrange forecast says our current population of almost 292 million [in 2003; now nearly 298 million] will jump to almost a half billion people by 2050.

Atlanta is already experiencing water shortages even as its population is expected to double during the next few decades. Water will become a nationwide concern. In addition, at current rates, the United States will lose 30 percent or more of its remaining 375 million acres of cropland by 2100. Some experts say our country will cease to be a food exporter by 2030 and will be unable to grow enough food for its people by 2050.

That's quite a legacy we're leaving our children.

An immigration policy that has resulted in a raid on our country by massive numbers of foreigners and in increasing inequity for American natives is wrong. A government that has breached its compact with the people and failed to protect them from subversion and attack is criminal.

What should guide U.S. immigration policy? Logic and reality.

We have a responsibility to future generations and to other planetary kingdoms, seen and unseen, that share this space with us. Above all, and especially now, immigration policy should serve our own survival.

It is and will be a question of balance.

November 26, 2005

Words Fail, Nail, or Jail (Depending on the Editor)

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
Well, I guess this Thanksgiving beats the time my family went to the all-the-frog-legs-you-can-eat place and was asked not to return.

Meanwhile, back at the blogs . . .

A couple of related California newspapers, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and The San Bernardino County Sun, host the Beyond Borders Blog on immigration issues. Here's part of a recent post by Conor Friedersdorf, the blogger-columnist:

"In a recent editorial the Long Beach Press Telegram complained that the immigration debate is filled with semantic shenanigans. 'Politicians and advocates resort to throwing around loaded euphemisms intended to spin or scare the citizenry,' the editorial board charged.

When the immigration debate falters Beyond Borders Blog rushes to the rescue like James Bond to a cold martini - both shaken and stirred to action by misleading jargon I'll now suggest a linguistic frame for this sometimes embittered debate. . . ."

Metro as absentee landlord

By Kay Brooks
I finally got around to reading S-Town Mike's blog about the fight to keep Jones Paideia open. The more I read the more I realized that it was sounding a lot like what happened in Inglewood when they closed Isaac Litton School in '71. I don't wish that on any neighborhood. I gotta believe that we're not the only two neighborhoods that have had to deal with Metro's abandoned property.

Those of you with an interest may want to start by reading Mike's posts at Enclave (scroll down there are several) and then write and call your school board members. I understand we've only got so much money, but that doesn't mean that MNPS should get away with slum lordery. If Metro can't take care of what it has..it needs to pass it on to those that can.

We made the Times

By Kay Brooks
...and confirmed our stereotype before the country-western singers had hardly paid their New York hotel bills after the CMA's.

Students Ace State Tests, but Earn D's From U.S.
By SAM DILLON
New York Times
After Tennessee tested its eighth-grade students in math this year, state officials at a jubilant news conference called the results a "cause for celebration." Eighty-seven percent of students performed at or above the proficiency level. But when the federal government made public the findings of its own tests last month, the results were startlingly different: only 21 percent of Tennessee's eighth graders were considered proficient in math.

Thankfully, someone seems to be working on a solution. The Christian Post is reporting that David Lipscomb University has received a grant from the Tennessee Department of Education in the amount of $240,000 for 24 teachers. That's 10 grand a piece if you're feeling mathmatically challenged yourself today.

The grant, which totals $240,000, will be used to fund a developmental program to enhance Tennessee high school math teachers’ mathematics content knowledge and teaching skills by developing and applying hands-on activities in geometry and statistical software programs,..

Bad news for PETA

By Ben Cunningham
According to thisRasmussen survey 98% of us had Thanksgiving dinner. 81% had turkey as the main course and 8% had ham. And a survey result that shows people absolutely do NOT tell the truth when polled, only 46% said the expected to eat too much.

Barn Blogging: Texas Edition

Along Highway 183, 28 miles north of Austin, Texas, near Leander.

Here's another view:

November 25, 2005

I LOVE this "job" and the Nashville property tax petition

By Ben Cunningham
Went to Wal-Mart today with the spousal unit to do some Christmas shopping, (crowds weren't that bad except in the toy department). On the way back home I thought, what the hey, even though it is a holiday and we probably don't have any mail, I will check the Post Office Box for petitions.

We (Davidson Cnty Members of TnTaxRevolt and many citizen volunteers) are gathering signatures on a petition to place a Charter Amendment on the ballot which will amend the Metro Nashville Charter so that property tax increases must be approved by the voters in a referendum. Checked the PO box and found this. We receive petitions in the mail everyday. I absolutely luv this job of citizen volunteer helping with this petition drive and helping citizens all across the state to become more involved in tax and budget decicions. If you live in Nashville and would like to help with the petition drive PLEASE go to the web site and print the petition and get your friends and neighbors and business associates and church members to sign and then send it in and THANK YOU to all the volunteers that are working so hard to claim their right to participate in THEIR government.

Questioning an obsolete system

By Kay Brooks
David Kirkpatrick asks a hard question in his current essay titled "Is the Traditional High School Obsolete?" and then asks another good question:

As educators who claim to teach critical thinking and problem solving, why can't we think critically and solve some of the problems of conventional schooling?

Backing up a bit, Kirkpatrick writes:

In 1997, Dr. Leon Botstein, Bard President, published "Jefferson's Children" in which he described high schools as outmoded holding pens which should be abandoned. He favors replacing traditional schools with a system in which students would attend K-6 elementary schools, then 7-10 secondary schools and graduate at 16 as Botstein himself did from NYC's High School of Music and Art in 1963. A graduate of the University of Chicago and then Harvard, at 23 he became the nation's youngest college president.

Time in seat does not equal a good education any more than tenure ensures an effective teacher. In this land of the free let's get rid of holding pens.

The Solution Is to Enforce the Law, Not Change It

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
An Arizona Republican congressman continues to speak up (in this case, in response to misguided newspaper editorials), and I couldn't agree more:

"Guest-worker Concept Doomed to Fail."

Peeking In

A big Texas "howdy" to y'all from Austin. I haven't been online much - too busy - but I did get a chance this morning to read a few of the posts by my various guest bloggers. Good stuff!

It was 82 degrees and sunny in Austin yesterday - just perfect - but it's cooler and gray today. We've been staying in Courtyard by Marriott hotels on this trip. The on in west Little Rock was the best. In Austin we spent the first night at the one in the Aboretum district, but switched to the one in Round Rock the next day. I'm not sure which was better - neither is close to the quality of the one in Little Rock.

Austin has changed - a lot - since I was here 10 years ago. It's grown immensely. A decade ago, the five-county Austin metro area was smaller in population than the eight-county Nashville metro area. Today, it's larger by about 200,000 people. Austin's metro area had 1.4 million people at the end of 2004.

You can see the growth in Austin everywhere you drive - the size, scope and scale of the road construction projects here dwarfs anything in the Nashville area. I may photograph some of the elevated expressways and other projects, if I get some time. Currently there are 65 miles of new toll highways under construction in and around the Austin area, plus improvements to various other main arteries. It's all going to be done by December 2007. (Photos here.) Compare that to the glacially slow pace of construction of the Route 840 beltway around the south side of the Nashville area.

The two cities are similar in a number of ways. Both are their state's capital, both are big university towns, and both have an impressive music scene - although Nashville turned its music into an industry that makes money while Austin turned its into a year-round party and has fun). Austin has a much larger tech sector, too, and is a much more online city than Nashville.

$83 billion for ....down the drain

By Ben Cunningham
The Joint Economic Committee recently issued a report which estimates the annual cost for individual taxpayers to comply with the brutally complex IRS tax code. Their estimate: $83 billion. This does not include enforcement costs or the cost for compliance and enforcement for business taxes, only the compliance costs for individuals.
This money does not clothe or house anyone. It does not produce food or research for new medicines. It is a dead weight loss for the US economy.

November 24, 2005

For all your government shopping needs

By Ben Cunningham
As you head out for that marathon of shopping tommorrow remember there is a very serious side to your hussle and bussle. In a free market economy you, as the consumer, have a profound responsibility. The choices you make will determine how efficiently manufacturers use the world's resources to make what you desire. If you do your research and always demand the best combination of price and quality for your family then you can rest assured that you have done your job. Many people, who believe you have neither the required knowledge or intelligence, would like to take that freedom and responsibility away from you and your fellow citizens. Please treasure and protect your freedom to determine the goods and services which you and your family purchase.

Perhaps even more important than your responsibilites as a consumer of private goods and services is your responsibility as a consumer of public goods. There are many people who would also like to take away that responsibility and freedom. The people of Macon County recently determined that they did not want to pay for additional public goods and services. They had the right.

Univ of California system salary database

By Ben Cunningham
Here is an interesting listing of salaries of employees of the University of California in descending order starting with the highest. From the San Franciso Chronicle.

Education and business

By Kay Brooks
Good for Williamson County. They managed to persuade Nissan executives that their schools were an asset. I wish Davidson County, and every other county in the state, had as much to work with.

Something that state legislators need to keep in mind in their own efforts to attract business is that education choice--especially among higher paying white collar workers--is an important aspect of why families choose to move to Tennessee. I routinely field inquiries from folks who are deciding to move to Tennessee vs. one of our 8 border states and they are concerned that our laws covering homeschooling, charters and online schooling aren't as accomodating as others. I can't tell you how many times I've had to deliver the disappointing news that Tennessee doesn't allow the freedom and options they want for their children's education.

Unfunded NCLB upheld

By Kay Brooks
Yesterday a US District Court Judge upheld NCLB despite its being a unfundad mandate. From the NY Times:

In his ruling, Judge Bernard A. Friedman of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, said that if lawmakers had meant to pay for mandates in the law, they would have phrased the legislation "to say so clearly and unambiguously."

Mr. Weaver accused the federal government of shortchanging the states by billions of dollars to cover the costs of testing and said: "Parents in communities where school districts are financially strained were promised that this law would close the achievement gap. Instead, their tax dollars are being used to cover unpaid bills sent from Washington for costly regulations that do not help improve education."

November 23, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
Every Thanksgiving I think about the vigilance thing. I come from a family that has served our country in unusual, or just uncommon, ways. Those ways have to do with vigilance. Perhaps the enemies of our nation are not many but one, an enemy that continually changes form. We must be alert to the changes and take care that we do not become lax in vigilance. Our nation, the Great Experiment, remains a true hope for humanity. We are entrusted with a great responsibility.

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.

It's the Jobs, Baby

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
The immigration-reduction movement, in a coalition with several trade groups, has launched a TV ad saying foreign workers are taking jobs that Americans want. I think this ad can be seen in Tennessee.

The coalition includes NumbersUSA, Federation for American Immigration Reform, American Immigration Control Foundation, POP.STOP, American Engineering Association, BrainSavers.org, The Programmer's Guild, American Council for Immigration Reform, Americans for Better Immigration, FAIR Congressional Taskforce, Virginians for Immigration Control, National Association for the Employment of Americans, American Jobs Coalition, AmericanLaborFirst.com, CitizensLobby.com, Hire American Citizens Professional Society, ZaZona.com, No More H-1B, The Rescue American Jobs Foundation, Information Technology Professional Association of America, and U.S. 1st.

I heard Paul Harvey today talking about an American employer, Kathy White, who is taking the lead in "rural outsourcing" -- "outsourcing" information-tech jobs to our rural communities. You can Google "rural outsourcing" or "rural sourcing" for more information.

A little perspective on Iraq

By U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn
Y'all -- As you all know, we held a debate on a resolution last week that would have called for an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq. Thankfully the rhetoric gave way to reason and we had a nearly unanimous vote against that idea, but it's still getting attention in the press. I want to send a message to the military men and women and their families -- we are grateful and we are behind this mission 100%.

One thing I also want to clear up regarding that resolution is this media-encouraged idea that we were somehow debating Rep. Murtha. This had nothing to do with him, it had everything to do with this policy suggestion.

Some food for thought. Below is a timeline comparison between our own nation and Iraq just to give us all some perspective.

America
July 4, 1776: Our revolutionary forefathers declared their independence from Great Britain

4090 days later: A group of homogenous, Christian, white, land owning men completed work on a Constitution to unite the disparate colonies into one federal government on September 17, 1787, a Constitution neglecting to extend certain rights to large portions of the nation's population.

278 Days later: New Hampshire ratified the Constitution certifying enough support to become the law of the land on June 21, 1788

200 Days Later: The first nationwide election under the newly ratified Constitution took place under peaceful conditions throughout the former colonies. Voters, with no fear of retribution or assassination, elected a new democratic government.

Compared to Iraq:
June 28, 2004: Coalition forces return sovereignty of Iraq to a United Nations backed interim government of Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Christian, Muslim, men and women

217 Days Later: Iraq holds its first democratic elections in generations, under threat of murder by terrorists, millions of men AND women turn out to vote on January 30, 2005 to elect a new government to draft a constitution.

258 Days Later: Iraqis turn out in event greater numbers to ratify their new constitution, drafted by Muslims and Christians, men and women, on October 15, 2005, a constitution respectful of religious freedoms and women's rights setting the stage for the country's third election in one year, this time to elect a permanent government.

61 Days Later: a free, constitutionally backed democratic government of Sunni, Shia, Kurd, Muslim, Christian, men and women, will be sworn in as the permanent elected government as Iraq completes its third successful election in less than one year.

In any event, I did want to include this following article to show that most people don't believe we went into Iraq to leave without victory. A victory that is NOT some far away dream, but a real possibility that we see every day -- if you look beyond the headlines and national media coverage. God Bless, Marsha

ON THE HOME FRONT
Murtha removes unfavorable troop poll
Online voters overwhelmingly opposed his call for withdrawalPosted: November 22, 2005
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

The congressman at the center of the battle last week over withdrawal of troops from Iraq removed the results from his own Internet poll on the subject after online voters overwhelmingly opposed his stance.

Rep. Jack Murtha, D-Pa., posted the poll after he ignited a firestorm in the House that led to Republicans forcing a quick vote on the issue Friday.

While a revised poll page remains on the site, the link to it from his homepage has been removed, making the survey effectively invisible to the public.

A contributor to Web forum Free Republic.com, however, posted results as of 3:34 p.m. Eastern time.

The call for immediate withdrawal garnered just 12 percent of the more than 12,000 votes.

Please indicate which of the following best summarizes your view on what the United States should do in Iraq:
A. We should immediately remove all troops. 1,562 votes, 12.3 percent

B. We should redeploy to the periphery of Iraq as soon as practical to protect troop safety and give the Iraqis incentive to take charge sooner, not later. 3,239 votes, 25.6 percent

C. We should maintain current troop levels until Iraq builds an army to defend and stabilize their country, even if that takes years. 6,726 votes, 53.1 percent

D. We should re-institute the national draft to increase troop levels to where we can seal the Iraqi borders and stop the passage of insurgents and insurgent-supply missions. 1,146 votes, 9 percent

E. None of the above. 3 votes, 0.0 percent

WND screen capture of Iraq war poll on website of Rep. Jack Murtha

Following three hours of intense debate Friday, the House voted 403-3 to reject a non-binding resolution to immediately withdraw troops from Iraq.

Responding to Murtha, House Republicans scheduled the quick vote to settle the issue and put lawmakers on the record.

The Republican alternative by Rep. Duncan Hunter of California read: "It is the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately."

Democrats accused Republicans of changing the meaning of Murtha's proposal. The Democrat hawk has said a smooth withdrawal would take six months.

At his press conference Thursday, however, Murtha stated: "I believe before the Iraqi elections, scheduled for mid-December, the Iraqi people and the emerging government must be put on notice: The United States will immediately redeploy – immediately redeploy."

Democratic New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apparently interpreted Murtha's stance as a call for immediate withdrawal, saying such a move would be a "big mistake."

Patterns

By Kay Brooks
One of the first lessons my children got in mathematics was to look for patterns. I explained to them that finding those patterns will help them find the correct answers. This week I realized I'm seeing some patterns in our society, mirrored in our schools, that are very troubling.

I see state legislators playing fast and loose with their responsibility to taxpayers. I read the phrase business as usual in Nashville used by legislators to shrug off at least questionable and often inexcusable behavior. They party with lobbyists and accept cash from those doing business with the state for their own entertainment.

And I read that Nashville's School Director has utilized precious funds for his own entertainment and comfort. and further that middle school athletic programs costing over a million dollars are apparently essential to fulfill the state's responsibility to educate a child.

Let's not confuse the business of government or the education of children with entertainment. They're both important WORK.

I see employee costs, based on time in service and not actual worth, eating up the incentive and value of our businesses to a point that it bankrupts them. GM is laying off 30,000 employees and blaming health costs and the employee union blaming bad designs and management. The local teacher's union is demanding more when taxpayers have said there isn't more to give and increased value hasn't been proven and those charged with overseeing the whole mess saying they have mixed emotions about the issue as if feeling good about anything equals quality leadership.

Will insistence on these pay raises, benefits and tenure eventually bankrupt our public schools ala General Motors?

Unlike math, these patterns don't lead to the right answer. They do lead to errors and ones that need serious immediate attention.

What these all seem to have in common is lack of accountability and desperate attempts at controlling what isn't theirs to control. Our legislators and school personnel will allow that they are public servants but if we require them to submit to our authority, even in the small things, too many of them howl and are offended at the mere suggestion. They're the experts they tell us, all the while mishandling the job and forgetting that every dime they spend is one we can't use to buy essentials for our own families.

In the meantime, what sort of patterns do our children see and what are they learning from their observations?

No hip or knee replacements for "fat people"

By Ben Cunningham
No more hip or knee replacements for "FAT people..." says the British National Health Service in East Suffolk. Cost too much. The article says a fifth of the men and a quarter of the women are obese in Britain and I would guess probably a greater percentage in the target population for this type of surgery.

Taxpayer funded lobbying

By Ben Cunningham
The implications of taxpayer money being used to get more taxpayer money are huge. The most important result is that government is becoming an increasingly closed circle where citizens are relegated to observer status. This study by the Salt Lake Tribune finds that state and local governments in Utah are spending four times as much taxpayer money on Federal lobbying in 2004 than they did in 1998.

Say it ain't so!!

By Ben Cunningham
A taxpayer funded sports stadium that has huge cost overruns. Say it ain't so!!

November 22, 2005

Happy Thanksgiving

It's a couple days early, but I'm posting this to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. Right after work we'll be heading out of Nashville, driving to Austin, Texas, after a brief pit stop at the airport Hertz counter to exchange our rental car for one that doesn't smell like an ashtray. BillHobbs.com will be in the capable hands of a fine group of guest-bloggers now through Sunday, though I may peek in from time to time as my blog approaches its fourth blogiversary (one week from tomorrow). We'll be in Austin through Sunday.

I've always liked Austin, but I'd rather not be there this week, celebrating Thanksgiving and our fifth wedding anniversary against the very large backdrop of a (previously mentioned) family medical crisis. This isn't the way that, a year ago, I pictured this week. I pictured my wife and I on a beach with palm trees and a warm Caribbean breeze - and the kids staying with their grandparents. But we'll be together as a family. And that's a very big something to be thankful for.

My best to you and yours. Happy Thanksgiving.

Term Limits overturned?

By Ben Cunningham
WMC in Memphis is reporting that three county commissioners can run again despite term limits passed in 1994. More info when we get it. Don't know if this will affect Metro Council and the Mayor...will try to get more information.

UPDATE: More from Wednesday Knoxville News Sentinel and Half-Bakered and Commercial Appeal.

Swedes are happy to pay high taxes?

By Ben Cunningham
Swedes are happy to hand over a huge percent of their income to the govt...right? Maybe not: "In a survey carried out by Demoskop on behalf of the Tax Board, 65% said they believed that people in prominent positions in society avoided tax because they "break the norms", while 62% said that tax is too high.

Rather than feeling guilty about depriving the Tax Board of kronor, people who paid cash-in-hand said that they felt satisfied that they got a good deal. Driving too fast was considered to be a more serious offence by the majority."

Reiner and Beatty don't poll well in CA

By Ben Cunningham
Arnold is having his problems in California but Rob Reiner and Warren Beatty don't appear to be much of a threat according to a new Field Poll (PDF). Only 25% of voters have a favorable opinion of Reiner and 16% have a favorable opinion of Beatty.

The Dog Days of Winter - Collapse of the Blue Dogs

By U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn
I wanted to dedicate some attention to the House Blue Dog Coalition because I think the media has been giving them a free ride for too long. They've criticized spending without having to actually vote for a cut - that changed last week. After much internal wrangling the House GOP finally got a spending reduction bill to the floor and forced them to take a vote.

And we found that among our own Republican ranks we've got 14 or so GOPers who don't want to vote for spending reductions. That was the holdup for our bill and it received a tremendous amount of news coverage.

What didn't receive much coverage, at least not until the Tennessean ran the story, "Tennessee Democrats vote against cuts, cite tax benefits" was the Blue Dog's failure to vote for the spending reductions. Here's the story...

Tennessee Democrats vote against cuts, cite tax benefits By BILL THEOBALD Tennessean Washington Bureau WASHINGTON -- Tennessee's fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democratic House members refused yesterday to sign onto legislation cutting about $50 billion in federal spending over five years.

The cuts in spending for Medicaid and other social programs aren't what bothered them. They're upset about separate legislation that would extend tax breaks, many for wealthy Americans, at a cost of $70 billion.

"The spending cuts won't even pay for those tax cuts," said Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville. "So the monster deficits are continuing."

Also voting against the budget-cutting bill, which passed 217-215 were Reps. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall; Rep. Harold Ford Jr., D-Memphis; Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Murfreesboro; and Rep. John Tanner, D-Union City.

Voting for it were Reps. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood; Bill Jenkins, R-Rogersville; and Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga.

"You'd have thought we were eliminating government altogether rather than just slowing its rate of growth if you listened to the Blue Dogs," Blackburn said. "We voted to trim the DC bureaucracy, and they voted to fatten it."

Cooper said he might have voted for the bill without the tax cuts. He again called on Congress to delay and rewrite the expensive Medicare drug benefit that senior citizens are signing up for now.

While not offering a specific budget plan, the Blue Dog Coalition, which includes 36 Democrats, has adopted a general 12-point platform that includes a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, pay-as-you-go budgeting and spending caps.

So, the story confirms this was in fact a bill that cut spending. They admit they're not upset with some of the social spending reductions. But, they're against extending tax reductions that have already passed -- these aren't new reductions we're talking about. And they also admit they didn't offer a specific budget plan. I'll admit something -- they got caught by surprise here and they're backpeddling fast.

Not a single Democrat voted for that spending reduction bill. And lets be honest here, it's $50 billion over a few years out of a $2.4 trillion a year budget. If you can't support that then you're not going to support any cuts.

The Blue Dogs -- to a one -- voted no. I believe they thought the Republicans didn't have the votes to pass it and when it failed they'd be able to say, "we told you so." I think they were stunned when it passed, and it's a vote they now regret.

More interesting though is that they voted against the Deficit Reduction Act which included Medicaid reforms that had been asked for by the National Governors Association -- and namely, Governor Bredesen.

The reforms are supposed to help states like Tennessee get a hold of the runaway Medicaid costs -- like we've seen with TennCare. You had a lot of news stories from the Governors, including our own, asking for more flexibility in managing their Medicaid programs and yet not a single Tennessee Blue Dog voted for the bill. And when they said they didn't like the Medicaid "cuts," they were being disingenuous because there was not cut! We reduced the growth of Medicaid by 0.3% -- from 7.3% growth to 7.0% growth.

I've always been an advocate of spending cuts, and I'll happily invite the Blue Dogs to vote with us on these bills, but no one (with the exception of John Fund's WSJ op-ed I referenced yesterday) is calling them out for voting against this spending reduction and against Medicaid reforms that could ease some of the TennCare problems.--Marsha

Interesting Poll and shameless plug

By Ben Cunningham
The Dyersburg State Gazette newspaper has an interesting poll today (in left column): Can good people outside your faith attain salvation as you understand it?

And how, you ask, did I know the web address for the State Gazette and other Tennessee papers? Glad you asked! I got it from the most complete set of political and taxpayer informational links to be found anywhere in the state of TN, the Tennessee Tax Revolt Taxpayer Information Center. If you have a question, the Taxpayer Information Center has an answer.

Gallatin Police Chief Wants Red Light Cameras

By Ben Cunningham
Another Tennessee city looking at red light cameras: "Gallatin Police Chief John Tisdale will ask City Council members to authorize requests for proposals from red light camera vendors in a meeting Tuesday."

Democrats Talk Down the Economy

Jeff Cornwall wonders why Democrats in Congress are talking down the health of the entrepreneurial economy.

Report Bolsters DeLay's Defense

By Rob Huddleston
A story buried in The Hill today focuses on a report by the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity, in conjunction with the Center for Responsive Politics. The crux of the report is that DeLay's public defense - that the transfer of corporate money from PACs to the national party with money then being routed to state candidates is commonplace - has validity.

The study (summarized in a press release here) found at least 30 other Congressmen had performed essentially the same act between 2000 and 2002. Amongst those listed as participants were former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, current Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Senator John Kerry, Senator Hillary Clinton, and current Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.

It should be noted that illegality in this case is still unknown. This area of campaign finance law falls upon the states, and a minority of states (23) prohibit the use of corporate money in state elections. It should be noted that Texas is one of the states that has such a ban. Also, the money trail in this investigation can be tedious, at best.

Of course, just because others are doing it, Congressman DeLay, doesn't mean that you have to do it, too...

Huddleston, Reporting for Duty

By Rob Huddleston

(But not in the John Kerry or Van Hilleary way...)

As I briefly stated on VOLuntarilyConservative yesterday, it is indeed an honor to guest blog on Bill's site this week. With holidays usually producing little to no news, there may be some time to expound on different political topics that have slipped through the cracks (as if anything actually slips through without a comment from somewhere in the Blogosphere these days). In any case, it should be a fun week.

Now, on with the show...

Unpopularity Contest

Approval ratings for Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen and for the General Assembly fell by 10 and 11 percentage points, respectively, since the last MTSU Poll in February. Bredesen's decision to kick 190,000 poor/sick/old/disabled people off the TennCare rolls is driving his numbers down while the perception of the legislature as an ethical cesspool is driving its numbers down. Details here.

Camera Phones used to turn in reckless drivers

By Ben Cunningham
The Malaysian government has set up a web site where you can upload pictures of your fellow citizens when they drive recklessly. They even have a hall of shame gallery. They must have much better cell phone cameras because the pictures look far better than any cell phone pictures I have seen. via Ubergizmo

Unfunded Mandate?

By Ben Cunningham
WBIR (which has an RSS feed) in Knoxville has anews story about the cost of the new DUI law which mandates that first timers wear a vest that says "I am a drunk driver" and pick up litter along the highway.

The county says it has had to add $215k to the budget just to start the program. Unfunded mandate? Sounds like they may have a point.

November 21, 2005

Ben Signs In

By Ben Cunningham
Thanks so much to Bill for the invite. and wow, to be guest blogging with such a distinquished crew that includes Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn. I had hoped to come up with some profound pearls of wisdom for my first entry but somehow the magic never happened (Blogger's block). However, I did come upon a timely poll. Rasmussen says that 44% of us have already started our holiday shopping. Come on people!! Almost half of us say we have started our shopping??? No way. But I did believe this part, "By a 51% to 30% margin, women consider holiday gift shopping a fun experience. By a 44% to 39% margin, men consider it an unpleasant chore."

Letter from Mosul

J.W. Purcell, 1Sgt, Ret., writes from Mosul, Iraq, about the idiocy of some in Congress calling for a "timetable" for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq:

Sir,

I have 22 years of military service. I have many Iraqi friends. I am in Mosul right now. I say this to establish that I am not some armchair advocate of military intervention, nor do I rely on second-hand information or talking points to form my opinion.

The talk of a 'timetable' is a losers' proposition. Establishing a date for withdrawal is the same as saying "we'll fight for x number of months and leave, whether we have victory or not." Warfare (as waged by Western Democracies)is not conducted for its own sake, but in pursuit of a goal. The obvious goal is to defeat the opponent in order to maintain your safety and existence.

I don't know what it will take for the US citizens who are against our operations here in Iraq and around the world to realize the nature of the war we are in and the rationale of the opponents we face. I hope they wake up to the situation we are in and start taking the threat to our well-being seriously. Our opponents declared war on us long before 9/11 and long before we realized it - which is why we are forced to expend the current level of effort to counter the threat. If we had dealt with the threat properly when it first appeared, we would have won already.

As for Iraq specifically, WMD was not the sole reason for ending the Baathist regime here. The UN resolution violations were reason alone. The general thuggery of the regime and its genocide in Kurdistan was reason alone. The support of numerous terrorist causes and the provision of safe haven for terrorists was reason alone. I could go on, but I will end with a more personal reason for staying until victory is achieved. The thought of leaving my Iraqi friends before we have fully established their freedom and provided for their safety disgusts me. It would be a cowardly act, and a foolhardy one as well.

JW Purcell, 1SG (USA Ret)
USACE-GRN-HQ
Mosul, Iraq

Thanks for the opportunity, Bill

By U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn
Bill -- I appreciate being thought of as a guest blogger for your blog. And perfect timing. We just wrapped up session for a two week district work period, and the last two days of floor debate were about as fiery as it gets.

I've got a bad case of bronchitis, but I got so worked up listening to some of my colleagues from across the aisle on the Thurs budget debate and the Friday Iraq immediate withdrawal debate that I went down to the floor and made myself heard! I'll be posting some more thoughts on this.

I've got some things to say on the Blue Dogs collapse in the House on the spending reduction bill which John Fund talks about in a WSJ op-ed today. I've also got some thoughts on the Iraq debate we had on Friday.

Guest Bloggers Found

After last week's stellar guest-blogging here by Matt White, Nathan Moore, Adam Groves and Donna Locke, I have lined up some more great guest-bloggers for BillHobbs.com for most of this week, as I continue to have to be traveling between Nashville and Austin, Texas, in connection with a family medical situation. Starting Tuesday and continuing through Sunday, Ben Cunningham of Tennessee Tax Revolt will be posting here Tuesday through Sunday, and - yes! - Tennessee's future best governor in history, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, has agreed to blog here. Also, Rob Huddleston of VOLuntarily Conservative will be blogging here for a few days, and Donna Locke of Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform, who guest-blogged here last week, will continue to post here this week and in the future. I have invited two more people to guest-blog here and will announce them if they say yes.

Adam Groves reminds me that Rep. Blackburn guest-blogged at RedState.org last week on several issues.

UPDATE: Kay Brooks is going to guest-blog here about education.

I'd like to issue an advance "thank you" to my guest bloggers this week, as well as another thank-you to those who filled in here last week. Life is a tad challenging right now, and at the worst time of the year for it. A year ago, I planned to take my wife somewhere very nice for our fifth anniversary - somewhere with a beach and palm trees swaying in a warm breeze. Instead, we'll be spending Thanksgiving - and our fifth wedding anniversary - in a hotel in Austin, as a family medical crisis grinds its way forward, wiping out my accumulated vacation days, grinding through our bank account, and weighing on our minds. Keeping the blog going is a small, small, thing, but I'm glad I have friends who are willing to help make it so.

Words Fail

If you haven't read Kay Brooks' wonderful farewell to her nephew, Spc. Benjamin A. Smith, you should go do so now.

November 20, 2005

Intelligent Debate

Donald Sensing is right, Charles Krauthammer's column in the Washington Post on intelligent design is a must-read. So go read it.

I have an intelligent and workable compromise for the battle over the teaching of evolution and intelligent design in our public schools, if anyone cares to hear it - though it won't satisfy the absolutists on either side. It goes like this:

Require public school teachers to inform their students that evolutionary theory addresses the science of the process by which life adapts and changes, but says nothing about the ultimate origin of life and, therefore, is not ultimately in conflict with either the notion that it arose spontaneously without a creator or that it arose only at the behest of a creator. Teach students how life changes and evolves - but inform them that science has not answered how the process got started. Inform students that when evolution posits that the universe started in a "Big Bang," it does not state the cause of that Big Bang - and that students are free to rely on their religious beliefs or non-religious beliefs to fill in that blank.

Tell them that believing the universe and life were created by a creator who exists outside of space and time does not preclude the existence of evolutionary processes, and believing in evolution does not preclude that the process was begun by a creator who exists outside of space and time.

And then teach the science.

Guest Bloggers Sought

I'm once again seeking a few guest bloggers to take over BillHobbs.com for a few days. I'm looking for 1-3 folks whose political views are generally aligned with mine to guest-blog here Tuesday through Sunday. There's no pay involved, just the adulation mildly interested attention of millions hundreds of thousands thousands a few hundred readers per day. I'm specifically looking for someone to keep track of developments in Tennessee political/government news, especially taxes and the state budget and ethics.

November 19, 2005

No Courage to Be Cowards

The U.S. House of Representatives voted 403-3 to continue to the war against terrorists and tyranny in Iraq. The cut-and-run Democrats lacked the courage to even vote their conviction that America must be cowardly in the face of an armed opposition in a foreign combat zone. Now, if they would just stop carping and let the president and his very capable military win this war.

Much Thanks

By Nathan Moore
It was fun blogging over here on Bill's site for a few days, celebrating conservatism, freedom and capitalism for the virtues they are. I hope I and my cohorts were able to do justice to the discourse readers have come to expect at BillHobbs.com. But now, it appears that the master has returned, and I will go back to my home over at MooreThoughts to continue the battle of ideas. And if you have good ideas, and you feel the need to put them down on paper - start a blog instead. We need more good thinkers blogging.

Signing off - Nathan

November 18, 2005

Thanks, Bill

By Matthew White
Guest Blogging:Bill Hobbs::Pinch Hitting:Hank Aaron.

That's how cool it was to fill in for a few days. Thanks for the chance, Bill. (And please forgive the cheesy baseball analogy. I know I should save those for my own site.)

Adventures in Babysitting

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
I have to say that, with the exception of the little incident yesterday, this is the best-behaved blog I've ever baby-sat. It did not run out into the street a single time and went to bed every night without a fuss.

This blog is indeed one of Bill's children. A child of the mind. Thank you, Bill, for the opportunity to share some facts and opinion with your readers. You're a class act. I'll drop by occasionally here and at gutsy state Rep. Stacey Campfield's blog, particularly come January, when the Tennessee Legislature reconvenes. I'll be watching several immigration-related bills and, of course, practicing my archery on the legislators.

Several Tennessee Republican lawmakers will be leading the efforts to put into state law a number of measures that would help demagnetize our state to illegal immigration and return some justice to our own citizens. Please give them your support. I will post information about this in a few weeks. I sometimes -- well, frequently -- skewer the Republicans because of this chaotic situation, but, trust me, the Democrats are far worse on this issue, though my Democratic congressman, Rep. Lincoln Davis, has become an exception. I believe we can get a bipartisan effort.

My Web sites, which had some blog qualities, have gone to cyberheaven. They served Georgia and Tennessee immigration-control networks for several years and may or may not be resurrected. During a period of family health crises, work projects requiring my unfragmented attention, and general lack of sleep, something had to go, and the Web sites were it. Associates and total strangers have offered to resurrect and operate them for me, and I may take them up on it one day when I can devote the time required.

I continue the (scaled-back) e-newsletter and other activities for the Tennessee and national networks.

Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform was founded in 2001. We are a statewide racially, ethnically, and politically diverse network working for enforcement of U.S. immigration laws and reduction of immigration numbers to the traditional levels our country enjoyed before the 1965 changes in our immigration laws. We have no other agenda. The issue is not immigrants as such but numbers. The numbers are out of control.

Looking for political correctness? Sorry, we flunk.

My work in the immigration reform movement has shown me that Americans can lay their differences aside and unite in a common purpose -- in this case, a purpose that serves not ourselves so much as those who will live in the future being crafted for them now.

I can be reached by e-mail at tncoalition at hotmail dot com.

Thank you for your attention.

A Game of Catch

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
A story in today's Washington Times reports that "the House Homeland Security Committee yesterday passed a border security bill that would expand expedited removal of illegal aliens across all U.S. land borders and boost funding for border enforcement and detention."

". . . The bill, which passed by voice vote, also would penalize countries that refuse to take back illegal aliens and would end the current 'catch-and-release' policy. Under that policy the Department of Homeland Security processes so-called OTMs, or 'other than Mexicans,' and then releases most of them into society with the hope -- usually dashed -- they would return in order to be deported. . . ."

Unseal The File

Matt White has a strong post below on The Tennessean's continuing probe of the role that gubernatorial politics plays in promotions at the Tennessee HIghway Patrol. One of the most troubling aspects of the story is that the governor's office - while asserting that there was no wrong-doing in the specific case that reporter Brad Schrade wrote about in today's story - is making sure the files remain sealed. That decision makes it impossible for the media and we the people to to know all the facts and, therefore, makes it impossible to fully trust the administration's assertions of innocence and ethical purity. If you can't trust them on this, are you going to trust them to do the right thing on legislative ethics reform?

Documents Prove Gov's TennCare Plan Is Motivated By Politics

By Matthew White
For months, Sharon Cobb has led the chorus of discontent on Phil Bredesen's TennCare plans. She is now working on her second documentary highlighting the disaster that is the Bredesen TennCare record.

Yesterday, I wrote about how Bredesen's propose "add-backs" have been in the works since before the cuts were made. Sharon has reposted documents that shows the proof. She originally posted the documents in June but they are certainly worth revisiting. See them here, here and here.

She highlights a few key phrases:

Front load bad news allowing add-backs later.
Build back enrollment through alternative programs (eg S-chip) in year 2

More Politics at the Patrol

By Matthew White
Brad Schrade continues his quest for a Pulitzer with another strong story on the politics of promotion at the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

The lieutenant who got a speeding ticket dismissed for Deputy Gov. Dave Cooley was recommended for promotion to captain two months later by the commander of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The promotion request came in a memo from the commander, Col. Lynn Pitts, and was addressed to Cooley.

The memo, obtained by The Tennessean, raises new questions about the series of events after Cooley's Feb. 29, 2004, ticket and dismissal, which later resulted in reprimands for Cooley and Lt. Ronnie Shirley. But the memo, seeking promotions for Shirley and two lower-ranking officers, also shows involvement from the office of Gov. Phil Bredesen in THP promotions, even at low levels.

More:

Cooley was told by Bredesen after the ticket scandal, which included a public reprimand, to stay out of THP business. Bredesen said this week that he had never ordered any promotions in the department. He said that he would rather have department heads sign off on such promotions, not his staff. "We have certainly been trying to dramatically decrease that kind of thing," he said. "I think we've done so successfully."

The problem here is not with the state troopers. They are doing what the system tells them they need to do in order to advance in their jobs. The problem is the system and the people that run it, namely Phil Bredesen and Dave Cooley.

Bob Krumm For State Senate

Bob Krumm is thinking about running for the state Senate. Encourage him. A state Senate full of people with Krumm's intelligence and integrity wouldn't need ethics rules. I don't live in his district, but I will help him in any way I can.

What Law and Order?

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
The Minuteman Project selflessly continues to do a job our government refuses to do. You can hop to the Minuteman Blog from their main site, which is a dual site, so be sure to back up and visit both (Jim Gilchrist and Chris Simcox) sections.

I don't watch much TV, but I guarantee you I will never watch the Law & Order TV show after reading reports of that show's unfair, even defamatory treatment of Minuteman in a recent episode. Details are on the Minuteman Blog, and in the Minuteman e-newsletter if you're signed up. Former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson, an actor in that show, should be ashamed of himself.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, writes about French riots, American politicians' guest-worker plans, and us.

Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, reportedly wants to "slow down the press-release battle" on that new federal law he crafted for the Mormon Church that would shield religious groups from prosecution under U.S. immigration laws against knowingly transporting, concealing, harboring, or shielding illegal aliens, if the church, synagogue, mosque, etc., is using the aliens as volunteers or missionaries. Bennett reportedly now wants to "spend some time reworking the language in a way that might satisfy both sides."

Bennett, we won't be satisfied until your law is repealed, erased, gone.

Torturing the VP

By Nathan Moore
The all-out assault on Dick Cheney regarding American interrogation tactics is astounding to me. "Torture" has become a fuzzy word (almost as fuzzy as "is"), which does little to help real information gathering by those sworn to protect us. Saddam Hussein used torture - pulling fingernails, strategic cutting, strategic burning, and strategic battery terminal placement were hallmarks of his regime. This is a far stretch from sleep deprivation and loud rap music. The latest critic has been Admiral Stansfield Turner, CIA Director for President Jimmy Carter. So, let's see what a Carter CIA director has to say about national security

Speaking of Bush's claims that the US does not use torture, Admiral Turner, who ran the CIA from 1977 to 1981, said: "I do not believe him."

On Dick Cheney he said "I'm embarrassed the United States has a vice president for torture.

"He condones torture, what else is he?"

Turner was the CIA Director who scrapped much of our investment in human intelligence to focus on electronic intelligence, leaving vast gaps in the CIA's ability to gather intelligence in places like Iran where the popular movement did not rely on high tech communications.

Like the President he served, Turner's willingness to go abroad and bash the current Administration suggests nothing more than a desire to rewrite the record of a failed Presidency by trashing another. Reasonable people can disagree on Iraq, the war on terrorism and even the use of torture. But to go to foreign countries and make such comments is unprecedented behavior from one Administration to another.

Admiral Turner, your choices were a major factor in creating our intelligence problems today. All the accusations you can make will not change that any more than all the Habitat homes and election monitoring trips will make Carter's legacy close to the importance of Ronald Reagan's.

So whenever a former Carter official speaks, remember what his mark on history actually is, and view his words with necessary skepticism. Turner must be ecstatic that William Casey is no longer around to balance the record.

Krumm for Senate

By Matthew White
Bob Krumm is soliciting input on his pending decision to run (or not) for the State Senate. I left him a comment, but since I know Bob fairly well and I happen to be pinch-hitting on the biggest political blog in the state, I thought I'd elaborate in a place where many, many more people would see it.

Simply put, Bob Krumm is one of the finest men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He exudes integrity, discipline, thoughtfulness and intelligence. These qualtiies are in very short supply on Capitol Hill and Tennessee would be well-served by having a man of Bob's caliber in the General Assembly.

If you've ever read Bob's blog, you know that he approaches issues in a way very different than the political garbly-speak that we have become so accustomed to. I know him to be a reliable conservative, but his analysis and decision-making is pragmatic and never smacks of partisanship or ideological line-toeing. Before he is a conservative, before he is a Republican, Bob Krumm is his own man.

Because of geography, I can't vote for Bob if he chooses to run. I will, however, do everything I can to see that hundreds or, hopefully, thousands of my fellow Tennesseans do the rest of us a favor and put Bob Krumm in the State Senate.

November 17, 2005

TennCare Reenrollments?

By Matthew White
Michael Silence picks up a very interesting AP story. TennCare Director JD Hickey told Governor Bredesen that because of the "aggressive management" (meaning cutting hundreds of thousands of people off of TennCare) of the program, the state will now be able to reenroll 15,000 of those affected by the cuts.

This would be big news if we hadn't seen it coming since April. Way back then, I wrote in regards to ongoing TennCare litigation:

The [Tennessee Justice Center] cited internal administration documents stating that disenrollment "front loads bad news, allowing 'add-backs' later." The Bredesen ploy apparently assumes that he will cut more people than necessary only so he can ride back in on his white horse and add more people in the midst of re-election bid.

Peeking In Again, Again

Got out of the car trunk home from travel to find frantic emails telling me my site wasn't loading - just a blank white page. Don't blame the guest bloggers! According to tech support at my hosting service, I have filled all of my allotted disc space with brilliance and it was time to shell out some more bucks for more disc space. That's been done - which is why you are seeing this now. Thanks to my great group of guest bloggers, who I'm hoping will stick around and post some more on Friday, though I suspect Adam, Matt and Nathan will want to be getting back to their own blogs. Donna Locke is welcome to continue posting here on immigration issues whenever she wishes.

Meanwhile, I'm going to need some more guest bloggers next Wednesday-Sunday...

Myths and Reality

By Donna Locke
Tennesseans for Immigration Control and Reform
You guessed it. It's Day 3 of "guest-blogging"! Hey, boys, has anybody opened the car trunk and checked on Bill? He's delusional. He thinks he's in Texas and I'm a Dixie Chick. Take him a biscuit.

Meanwhile, here's something for the rest of us to gnaw on: an article in the online version of Investor's Business Daily, "The Myth of No-Cost Immigrants."

Van In a Rough Spot

By Matthew White
Gerry Dale, the undisputed champion of election blogging, has this on Tennessee Right to Life's endorsement of Ed Bryant.

Hilleary is in a difficult position. He badly needs to stem the tide of conservative organizations endorsing Bryant, but even if he does manage this, it would result in merely a split– which would leave the door wide open for Corker. The path for him to the nomination is becoming increasingly hard to find.

However, he could end up as the kingmaker; if he stays then it is hard to envision Corker losing, whereas if he drops out and throws his support to Bryant it could be a real horserace. The questions then become if and when he will realize this dynamic, and which of his opponents he would prefer to have the nomination. (emphasis added)

Dale is right, however, on the spot Hilleary finds himself in -- somewhere between the rock and the hard place. Hilleary has a choice between two, and only two, alternatives. Lose a primary badly, thus ending his political career or being a kingmaker (as Dale puts it) and living to fight another day. It should be an easy choice.

Weak Ethics

By Nathan Moore
The Democrats in the Tennessee legislature have done something wonderful - well, at least in their minds. They are actually going to let the people of Tennessee watch in on all of their meetings. The sunshine law, which applies to every governmental body in the state BUT the legislature, is the answer, and the only answer that the Democrats have allowed to go forward. Well, not really

The language, however, is not as tight as open government advocates wished and is somewhat confusing, said Frank Gibson, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition on Open Government. It also will expire at the end of the 2006 legislative session.

Scrapped was a proposal that would have placed many legislators' votes online. A plan to audio-record subcommittees also didn't make the cut, and neither did a bill that would have placed online lawmakers' travel costs.

"Every time we came up with a proposal that dealt with opening up government, showing the people where money came from and where it would go, making access to their government easier by using the Internet, it was defeated, basically, on party lines," said House Minority Leader Bill Dunn, R-Knoxville, who also served on the committee.

And after its sixth round of meetings, several members of the committee were happy they were finally finished in drafting a reform package, a process House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington) called “extremely hard.”