BillHobbs.com is a frequently updated blog of original reporting and commentary by Bill Hobbs, a longtime Nashville journalist and media relations adviser. I am currently serving as communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party, a job I began on Oct. 29, 2007.
Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen hasn't even posted his first real blog entry yet, but he needs to, if only to respond to a blistering comment posted by commenter Donna Locke over at Rep. Stacey Campfield's blog:
Bredesen is so out of touch with what's really going on that he might as well be in a sensory deprivation tank. As for his so-called blog, I'm sure public comment there will register like all the other trees falling in the forest.
Bredesen should post a New York Times story today that puts the lie to his claim that, thanks to him, Tennessee now has the "toughest driver's license policy in the nation." The truth is, Tennessee is one of only 12 states that do not require proof of legal presence in the United States to drive legally. Additionally, Tennessee allows applicants to take the driver's exam in languages other than English. No safety purpose is served by allowing drivers who cannot read English/road signs, etc.
Please read the story, titled "Immigrants in Tennessee Issued Certificates to Drive." It will fill you in on how those certificates marked "Not Valid for Identification Purposes" are being accepted as ID by law enforcement officers, auto insurance companies, and other entities. Utah has already copied the driving certificates idea; other states are considering it. Bredesen, former Gov. Sundquist, and the National Democratic Party must be proud!
Tennessee should not be issuing state documents to illegal aliens, period. Any document so issued blurs the distinction between legal and illegal and becomes a gateway and a passport for lawbreakers, none of whom have undergone the screening and background checks required of legal immigrants and visitors (though our overwhelmed legal-visa-and-immigration process is broken as well).
Tennessee has made itself a magnet for illegal aliens and will pay a heavy price for it. We are already paying it. Only a handful of our state legislators have the guts to try to do anything about it.
Ouch.
It would be nice to see Bredesen respond on his blog. I'm just not holding my breath.
By the way, giving legal documents to illegal aliens is a terrible idea - unless the legal document is a deportation order.
UPDATE: Meanwhile, Bruce Barry comments regarding Bredesen's blog: "No word yet on whether he'll be posting health care tips for disenrolled TennCare recipients."
Ouch!
Is Bredesen really ready for this kind of freewheeling discourse? If he doesn't allow readers to post comments on his blog, the answer is no.
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For more scrutiny of the Bredesen record, see Bredesen Watch.
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Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen hasn't even posted his first real blog entry yet, but he needs to, if only to respond to a blistering 