I, for one, don't consider the service of the men and women in the Tennessee National Guard to be "nothing," B-Ho. You think of that the next time you say the Governor has done nothing about illegal immigration.

Of course, you chicken hawk Republicans these days don't go anywhere near the military. What? You afraid you couldn't play on your computer and drink your caramel latte, pantywaist?

The Tennessee National Guard troops, God bless them, are no doubt doing a fine job, but they are being used as a political prop by the governor to cover up his failings on the issue. I expect we'll see them in a campaign ad soon - Bredesen in khaki in the Arizona desert looking "tough" on illegal immigration when he's been nothing but weak on the issue.

Bredesen's policies have helped make Tennessee a magnet for illegals, and he opposed legislation that would have increased law enforcement efforts to get criminal illegals out of Tennessee. He sent a few hundred TNG troops to the Mexican border so he could claim to be doing something about illegal immigration, while doing NOTHING at home to illegals from flooding into Tennessee.

By the way, members of the military and retired military tend to vote overwhelmingly Republican, so the charge that Republicans are chickenhawks is patently absurd.

And I don't like lattes.

Sending the National Guard to the border solely in a support capacity and with orders such that the Border Patrol has to spend its time and energy protecting the National Guard as well as doing its other duties accomplishes little to nothing. This is a farce perpetrated from the federal level, but the states are going along with this insult to the National Guard without question. If we are going to send the Guard to the border, train them in border protection and let them do some actual guarding.

By the way, my Republican state rep, Tom DuBois, served in the U.S. Army.

Bill, the more I think about this, the madder I get. It is outrageous that our governor would try to avert and stifle discussion on an issue that many Tennesseans have said is paramount to them and that involves matters of life and death. And how dare the governor prevent the director of the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security from attending a citizens' meeting called to address an issue of national security. Don't we citizens pay this guy's salary?

I have heard many state legislators and my own congressman say that illegal immigration is the number one thing they hear about when they hold meetings and visit around in their districts. People keep talking about it, because nothing is being done about it. But apparently Gov. Bredesen doesn't think meetings should be held to address these concerns. I'm thinking of a quote attributed to Bredesen in an AP story.

Late summer and the fall are the best times for state legislators to hold town hall meetings and get an idea of what their constituents want them to do. The legislators begin preparing and filing bills before they reconvene in January. Critics should keep that in mind.

The fact is that Bredesen has done NOTHING to slow the flood of illegals into Tennessee. Forget Bredesen's dog-and-pony show photo-op stuff like sending troops to the border or being there for the press conference when Nashville's sheriff decides to do something concrete - Gov. Phil "Pass the Buck" Bredesen's OFFICIAL POSITION on dealing with illegal immigration is Do Nothing - and Blame the Feds

Follow that link, folks, and you'll see it right on Bredesen's Homeland Security Department website. The Bredesen administration's official policy on combating illegal immigration is: Do Nothing - And Blame the Feds.

Once again, the gop haters turn to name calling rather than deal with an issue. The one further step that needs to be taken is to make it a state felony for ANY employer to hire ILLEGALS. As J.D. Hayworth says, " A few good perp walks will solve the problem."