Is it any surprise Diane Black doesn't want to debate him?

Kleinheider has a press release from the Yager campaign rebutting Becky Ruppe's ad that says he raised taxes and left Roane County in debt.

Ruppe's ad says he raised taxes 45% and left office with the county $45 million in debt.

Yager's rebuttal is that these are false statements. Their proof? "...when Yager left office, Roane County’s tax rate was lower than when he entered office. Also, Yager’s fiscal management improved Roane County’s credit to an 'A' rating."

So what? The county could raise taxes 45% or more and still have a lower tax rate. And the county can be $45 million in debt and still get an 'A' rating.

Where are the facts to back up the accusation that Ruppe's ad "falsely states" taxes went up and the county had $45 million in debt?

Typical GOP misdirection play. Sounds like Bill Hobbs wrote it for them.

The Yager (Hobbs?) campaign piece also says "Ken spent his years in office working to bring high-paying jobs to Roane County and improve the quality of life for all citizens."

Unlike Yager (Hobbs?), TN Senate Democratic Caucus spokesperson Mark Brown has facts to back up Ruppe's ad, and more facts regarding the loss of jobs in Roane Co. on Yager's watch (documents courtesy of ACK and Post Politics).

Does the TNGOP really think people are this stupid? Apparently so, because they keep floating BS like this expecting people to believe it.

Joe Powell has a detailed report on last night's debate between candidates for U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 1st Congressional District.

This could be a historic election, and Democrats have fielded a great candidate who might just be able to pull off what some would consider a miracle.

Becky Ruppe, candidate for Tennessee Senate from the 12th District, is sending out this mailer:

(Click for bigger)

Ruppe v. Yager heats up...

Although most of their press releases are about abortion, illegal immigration, gun rights, the war on terror, and taking over the Tennessee legislature, the Tennessee Republican Party has weighed in on the economy from time to time:

TNGOP Press Release, Jan. 2008: "On the economic front, Democrats want to convey fear about "recession." Despite a rise of almost 12% in real after-tax per capita income (averaging $3550 per worker), the reduction of the federal deficit by $250 Billion over the last 3 years and 52 straight months of economic growth in an environment of the War on Terror in Afghanistan and Iraq, corporate scandals, natural disasters in hurricanes, drought and fires, our resilient markets are now responding to the impact of 1.8 million subprime mortgages due to reset at higher rates."

TNGOP Press Release, Jan. 2008: "Our economy is resilient as evidenced by the numerous rebounds during the War on Terror, after September 11, rising energy costs, etc. The problem and continued financial uncertainty is the result of personal debt that includes commitments in the housing sector, specifically mortgages that were outside the fiscal range of families' budgets. Economists and financial experts are stating that a correction will be healthy for our economy and part of the cycles that occur regularly. Republicans want to extend and make permanent tax cuts while Democrats are proposing billions of dollars in tax increases."

TNGOP Press Release, Feb. 2008: "Republicans running for president are engaged in discussions about policy that will create jobs, reduce the regulation on small businesses and make a positive impact on our economy in the short and long-term view."

TNGOP Press Release, Mar. 2008: "The Doom and Gloom Democrats are at it again, taking a small dip in the economy and pretending it's the Second Great Depression, in order to convince voters to buy the "hope" they're selling that's really just the same ol' liberal recipe of higher taxes, more government spending and more government regulation. But the truth is that while the economy has taken some hits recently, it's not as bad as the Democrats will claim between now and election day. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out, 2008 is nothing like 1929."

The Tennessee Republican Party's communication director has given a little more attention to the economy, and specifically the success of the Bush/GOP economic policies:

Bill Hobbs, Oct. 2006: "The Bush Economic Boom is even bigger than previously reported, which is one reason for the rapidly shrinking federal deficit. I blame the Bush tax cuts."

Bill Hobbs, Jun. 2007: "We just had our 45th straight month of real job growth. The Bush economic boom started with his tax cuts and it is real and long-lasting."

Bill Hobbs, Oct. 2007: "The Bush economic boom sustained a gut punch on 9/11 and kept on growing, as it has for more than six years now. It's an economy that can take a punch, unlike the brittle Clinton-era economic boom that was undone by the collapse of a stock market bubble in one small sector of the economy. (That the Clinton economic "boom" could be ended by the collapse of a few dot-com stocks suggests that Clinton's economic boom was, much like the dot-com boom, an economic mirage - a bubble.) So, who do we blame for our terrible economy today? Me, I blame the Bush tax cuts."

Bill Hobbs, Nov. 2007: "Economist Larry Kudlow says the economy is booming - and he's got plenty of data to support it. In fact, some of the data suggests economic growth is accelerating, Kudlow blames the Bush tax cuts for the boom. I do too."

Bill Hobbs, Feb. 2008: "The "mortgage crisis" is really just a shakeout of some bad deals in one very small corner of the overall mortgage market. A tax credit would make those homes more attractive to buyers. But, then, so will their falling prices. That's the way it always works."

Bill Hobbs, March 2008: "But the overall economy is still growing, a fact not reflected in the news coverage of the economy."

Bill Hobbs, May 2008: "The economic expansion launched by the Bush tax cuts continues uninterrupted so far. Has the pace of economic growth slowed? Yes. But the economy is still growing. Remember that the next time you here [sic] some Democrat candidate whining about the "recession," and talking about how bad the economy is."

Bill Hobbs, June 2008: "When it comes to the economy, the good news is the news isn't all bad. The bad news is the news media tends to cover the bad news more than the good."

Voters in Tennessee and across the nation, please ask yourself: Do we need four more years of delusional government like this?

John Guider
Canoe at River's Edge, Sunset along the Mississippi River

The River Inside, opens October 3rd at the State Museum. Visit the Tennessee State Museum on Art Museum touring.page (Link...) The River Inside tells the story of Guider’s solo journey through the camera’s eye. Guider, who completed the upper portions of the Mississippi in three subsequent solo canoe trips taken from 2005 to 2007, captured more than 10,000 scenes of America’s waterways on film during his trips. He then selected and processed just 75 platinum prints representative of the people and places he encountered along the way. The images offer a revealing perspective on the natural and controlled inland waterways that bisect the nation.

Also, on exhibit is Akira Blount’s Enchanted Dolls through November 30. Akira Blount is more than just a doll maker; she is an internationally recognized figurative artist.

This week's Art Museum Touring.com "Openings, Closings, and Events" newsletter has been posted (Link...) showing what is going on at the participating museums and galleries in the nine state southeast region. This week the Hill Memorial Library LSU Libraries’ Special Collections, Baton Rouge, LA joined Art Museum Touring.com.

Support your local galleries and museums! They are economic engines for your community.

Sherrie

9.30.08 Nashville, TN: The Coalition for October Debate Alternatives (CODA) announced today the Presidential Candidate's Alternative Debate to take place October 6th, in Nashville, Tennessee. The debate is open to all third party candidates for President in the United States as well as the major party nominees. The debate, which is scheduled to take place on the campus of Vanderbilt University on Monday, October 6th will feature several Presidential Candidates who have confirmed attendance including Brad Lyttle of the US Pacifist Party, Charles Jay of the Boston Tea Party, Frank McEnulty of the New American Independence Party and Brian Moore of the Socialist Party. The Constitution Party has also confirmed that Presidential Candidate Chuck Baldwin or Vice Presidential Candidate Darrell Castle will attend the event.

The debate, which is being organized by CODA has been in the making for several months and is scheduled to take place on Monday, October 6th at 7:00pm, one day prior to the Presidential Debates which are happening at Belmont University in Nashville on October 7th. CODA says that many of the Presidential candidates have been excluded from attending the Belmont debate.

In a recent release to the press CODA indicated that is was organizing the alternative debate because it believed that voters deserve to hear from all the candidates if they are going to make an informed choice at the ballot box, " While we want to hear what the major party candidates have to say on issues related to the war, health care, the economy, gas prices, the future direction of the military, civil liberties and the environment, we do not believe that most issues of concern to American voters will be touched by the Democrat-Republican debate. That is why we are organizing an alternative debate so that voters in Nashville, Tennessee and beyond may be informed of all their choices as they participate in America's electoral process."

The general public and the media is invited to attend this event, which will begin at 7pm on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The moderator for the event will be Bruce Barry, a professor at the Owen School of Management at Vanderbilt.

Chris Lugo, of the Coalition for October Debate Alternatives, said that the Democratic and Republican candidates have also been invited to the event, but have not indicated an interest in attending, "We believe that voters should make a fully informed choice about who they vote for and we do not believe this is possible if they are only hearing from two candidates. We have invited the Barack Obama and John McCain in the interest of fairness, but we are intending to highlight this alternative debate as the most egalitarian possible event by including all the candidates and promoting this as an event to which everyone is invited."

Presidential Candidate's Alternative Debate
Vanderbilt University
4309 Stevenson Center
Nashville, TN 37240

Monday October 6th
Candidate's Debate 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Light Reception to Follow Debate

For more information visit:
Link...

The "toxic debate derivatives" edition of the weekly Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the state's best bloggers are talking about...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Senator Drama Queen: ...how does a man go, in just a few days, from claiming that the economy is fundamentally sound to marching all over Washington, DC like Chicken Little, hitting new levels of scenery munching, derailing the negotiations Congress had gotten through before his arrival politicized the whole process -- swooping in, wearing his home-made cape and superhero pajamas -- pretending to be the man who’s saving the day, when he couldn't even be bothered to read the 3-page document that is central to the process?

• 55-40 Memphis: I ask again, is this the best way to use the ammo? Besides, the five biggest Wall Street losers have already rolled over. We need to protect cash deposits, homes, jobs. That's where Main Street lives.

• Aunt B: I start by saying two things that I have observed about Southerners -- one, a lot of them are Southern Baptist, which means, when they don't like how something’s going, they have no compunction about breaking off and doing something different while still considering themselves to be the true carriers of the proper torch and two, they don't like to be played for fools.

• Carole Borges: If you've been following the economic terrorist attack from within, you probably feel confused. Who wouldn't. It's obvious no one in Washington has a clue what is happening. How could ANYONE in their right mind even consider for one micro-second supporting anything that says "...the whole thing is up to Paulson's "discretion," and "may not be reviewed by any court of law or any administrative agency."

• The Crone Speaks: Now, onto why I felt Obama dominated the foreign policy segment. As I wrote quickly last night, he was authoritative, his answers came easily, he did not rely on anecdotes or generals, or the old guard. As I also mentioned last night, McCain tired quickly. He looked, to me, to be extremely tired.

• Joe Powell: I do know that for the first time in my life, this important office isn't being handed off to the next local insider, another pre-selected candidate from the Republican party which has held total control of [Tennessee's 1st Congressional District] for over 100 years.

• Don Williams: Welcome to full-blown oligarchy -- government that socializes the losses of big business while privatizing the profits and promoting corporate welfare through good-old-boy contracts for military build-ups, outdated energy plans and tax breaks for the wealthy.

• TNDP: In spite of the unprecedented economic crisis created by Bush-McCain policies that freed the banking and lending industry from vital protections for the American people, John McCain wants to put Americans’ health care at the mercy of Wall Street.

• Enclave: Given Barack Obama's strong, comfortable, steady performance in tonight's debate on John McCain's turf of foreign policy, I would say that the Republican attempts for the last four weeks to raise expectations on Sarah Palin by comparing her to Barack Obama may have been a deadly mistake. Also, see ongoing series re. racial tensions fueled by suspect Tennesseean reporting.

• Fletch: Lighthouse Light

• KnoxViews (Sven): The author, like all the other purveyors of this and other similar dumbass notions, fails to explain the mechanism by which the GSEs ruined America. He harps on poor and corrupt management, accounting scandals and skeezy congressional ties - all of which existed. But zero evidence is provided for the core implication that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac stampeded Wall Street into making bad loans to the shiftless underclass. That's because no such evidence exists. And: R. Neal: Just like investors who have been duped, the federal government will have no idea what they are buying or what to do with it. Even on a straight up equity sale of shares nobody knows what they are buying any more. Quarterly reports are works of fiction and earnings conference calls are performance art. With derivatives they don't even have to lie -- they can just hide mistakes and corruption under impenetrable layers of bullshit. Corporate America's stock in trade is now deception.

• Lean Left: So the GOP plan is to insure the bad debts, putting the taxpayers on the hook for possibly much more than the 700billion dollar Paulson came up with without giving the taxpayers anyway to ever get compensation if the government is required to pay off on that insurance. And then, just to rub salt in the wounds of the average tax payer, they are going to give the class of people who are most responsible for getting us into this mess a huge tax break for two years.

• Left of the Dial: The only time George W. Bush has spoken to us with "any sense of conviction, control, sincerity and grasp of the situation" was atop the rubble of the World Trade Center holding a megaphone. And even that turned out to be a bunch of crap. Plus: No Bailout For You!

• LeftWingCracker: Here's how to help Obama in Memphis

• Liberadio(!): One of the most important questions that could be asked by Jim Lehrer is not being asked: "What exactly is victory in Iraq?" Plus: Yee of Much Faith

• Newscoma: "George Bush is no different than Herbert Hoover," he said. "I was a kid during the depression and I want you to know, we are heading down this path again."

• The Pesky Fly: What bothers me is that this dog whistle has so permeated the conversation that it has filtered down to second graders. That, dear children, is some effective marketing.

• Resonance: Financial Crisis Reveals Bush's "Political Capital" Is Now An Illiquid Asset

• RoaneViews: We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself. Republican Party Platform adopted September 2008

• Russ McBee: Both Fulmer and McCain are decrepit, counter-productive shadows of their former selves, and both have far exceeded their sell-by dates. Plus: Trillion dollar life preserver: I don't know about you, but I'm awfully tired of being trickled on.

• Sean Braisted: Ultimately, while this bailout deal might be in the best interest for our country, the language being used by the administration is fairly reminiscent of language used to push through the ill-conceived Patriot Act, and the War on Terror in general.

• Sharon Cobb: I'm giving away two tickets for you to see and meet my favorite rednecks, Jackie and Dunlap from Red State Update. They are appearing in a town hall meeting in Nashville on October 6, and all you have to do is drop me an email telling me why you love these two lunatics, and I'll forward your entry to Jackie and Dunlap to choose the winner. (No way I was going to choose the winner!) Please get all entries in by Friday, October 3 at midnight to me at: MissSharonCobb@aol.com

• Silence Isn't Golden: But the Republicans aren't going to touch this thing with a ten-foot pole. Why would they? Bush has no coattails anymore, there's no need for them to fall in line with him. They can vote against it, and they will, and then go back to their districts and put all the blame for the fact that we're wasting billions of taxpayer dollars to bail out irresponsible corporations...on the Democratic leadership in Congress!

• Southern Beale: Yesterday blog trolls started touting the expected line that our mortgage crisis is the fault of a) Bill Clinton, and b) black people. Gee, what took them so long?

• vibinc » Blog Archive » The Coming Financial Disaster: Remember, just because you don't understand it, doesn't mean it doesn't affect you.

• WhitesCreek Journal: I don't know that much about this stuff, but according to one Democratic Congressman calls to Congress are running about 50-50 on the bailout... 50% No! And 50% HELL NO! Plus: Did You See the Debate?: I saw something else on John McCain's face as he turned it away from Barack Obama. I saw one hell of a pancake makeup job hiding the purple rage. That $5000 was money well spent.

• Women’s Health News: McCain just said something to the effect that healthcare should be between the patient and the physician, not the federal government. Can I hold him to that on reproductive health and "conscience?"

Last week the US House of Representative passed an amendment (H.R. 5244) to the Truth in Lending Act to give credit cardholders more rights.

As reported in the Los Angeles Times:

In addition, except for limited circumstances, creditors would not be able to increase interest rates to existing balances on credit cards.

Unless I am missing something, this is an excellent amendment and should be enacted.

Nine members of the US House of Representatives elected to Not Vote on this amendment. Three of those nine were Democrats from Tennessee, Cooper, Gordon, and Lincoln Davis. There are only five Democratic Tennesseans elected to the US House of Representatives. Why did the majority of them decide to sit this one out? All three are running for re-election this year, as are the two (Tanner and Cohen) that voted to approve the amendment. Luckily their votes did not matter. I would have been nice to have them on record.

Candidates for U.S. House of Representatives Rob Russell (D) and Phil Roe (R) will debate on Tuesday, Oct. 7th at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville, TN starting at 7 pm. There are also three independents running.

Joe Powell has more details on the debate and a race that is shaping up to be a "first in the 1st" in our lifetime.

If Rob Russell can pull this off it will be a huge upset and an important pickup for Democrats. You can help him out here.

William Morris
Canopic Jar: Eland, 1995
blown glass
Collection of the artist

William Morris: Myth, Object and the Animal closes Sunday, September 28, at the The Hunter Museum of American Art in Chattanooga. Visit the Hunter page on Art Museum Touring.com (Link...). Internationally known glass sculptor William Morris transforms molten glass into sculptural installations resembling unearthed artifacts, animals and ancestral peoples. Morris’s innovative blown glass sculptures and installations are inspired by his passion for archaeology and ancient civilizations—Egyptian, West African, Mayan, Native American—as well as his deep interest in the animal world and the relationship between humans and their environment.

Support your local galleries and museums! They are economic engines for your community.

Sherrie

Josephine's Coat of Many Colors
Vickie Vipperman
silk, bamboo, cotton, weaving

Wear Art: TN Textiles, V. 2008 at the Centennial Art Center features the work of Paula Bowers-Hotvedt, Teresa Hays, Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid and Vickie Vipperman. Visit the Centennail Art Center page on Art Museum Touring.com (Link...). The weekly Openings, Closings and Events newsletter for the museums and galleries has been posted and is ready to be viewed (Link...).

The exhibition closes Friday September 26. Local textile artists Paula Bowers-Hotvedt, Teresa Hays, Breanna Rockstad-Kincaid and Vickie Vipperman will share the gallery at Metro Parks’ Centennial Art Center. Each artist will present a unique approach to “wearable art,†displaying and selling their original designs that include jackets, hats, scarves, neck ties, purses, shawls and more.

Support your local galleries and museums! They are economic engines for your community.

Sherrie

The world financial markets were rocked to their foundation this week by the news of the collapse of one of the oldest Wall Street Investment firms in American history, preceded by two of the largest bailouts in American history. If that was not news enough, the market was then knocked around again in round two when American Insurance Group (AIG) was given a 24 hours notice to raise $85 billion dollars to cover debt tied to the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Once again the federal treasury decided to bail out another corporation in the name of the American people and the stability of the marketplace. Then the mother of all bailouts was announced just before the close of business Thursday when Secretary of the Treasury announced a $700 billion dollar bailout of all remaining investment firms, banks and insurance groups. President Bush proudly proclaimed that the American people had been saved by the quick thinking and decisive actions of the US Treasury and anticipated quick passage of the trillion-dollar bailout by the House and Senate this week.

...next week.

Road Warriors making their way through Middle Tennessee may be in for a surprise...

85% of gas stations in Metro Nashville are running on empty or are completely out of gas in all grades.

A letter just released to supporters:

A couple of announcements:

Say what you want about all the inside baseball surrounding the Kurita de-nomination, but consider this.

According to "evidence" released by the Tennessee Democratic Party, 1289 voters in the 22nd District Democratic Primary had not voted in a Democratic Primary since 2000. 558 of those voters had also not voted in a Republican Primary since 2000.

Of those 558 people, we can only assume that some were new voters, some were new to the state or the district (including some military families most likely), some had given up on politics but decided to participate again, or had for the first time decided to participate in selecting a nominee.

The TNDP's message to those 558 voters is "don't bother."

Crossposted at LWC

As everyone knows, my initial reaction to the TDP's voiding of the Senate 22 primary was not a good one, as I believed the TDP screwed up. Certainly, without knowing the backstory, the average voter would have come to the same conclusion that I did, that Democratic voters were disenfranchised.

After checking into this a bit further, not so much.

My sources, some of whom sat in that room Saturday, have told me a different story. I have learned that the primary, which was decided by 19 votes, was corrupted by GOP voters who deliberately crossed over to influence the race. At least 138 of them were found by Barnes' legal team to have voted in 8 of the last 8 GOP primaries, and a few hundred more were found to have voted in at least 4 of the last 8 GOP primaries.

Now wait, you say, we don't have party registration, people can legally vote in whichever primary they choose, just not both at once. This is true; however, each party has the legal right to determine who may run under their banner, and if it is determined that the voting process was corrupted to the point of being “incurably uncertainâ€, they may void such a primary election.

Other things learned at the meeting on Saturday is that some of Barnes' would-be voters were told by their election judges, according to one of my sources, that in order to vote for Barnes, they would need to vote in the GOP primary, only to learn that he was not in that primary, then to be told that nothing could be done. Who's disenfranchising WHOM at this point?

In addition, my sources have advised that there WERE Republicans who sought to run for Kurita's seat, but were apparently told by Ron Ramsey that they were protecting Kurita, and asked them not to run.

As all of these happened with numbers far larger than the 19-vote margin, and as this was a PRIMARY, and not a general election, the Tennessee Democratic Party was within their rights to boot Kurita. They then made the decision to put the burden for deciding the nominee on the Democratic Executive Committees of Houston, Cheatham & Montgomery Counties, the three counties that make up District 22.

On Wednesday night, they voted 61-4 to nominate Tim Barnes, a bona fide Democrat, to run. Kurita has filed to wage a write-in campaign, which is difficult to win but not impossible, especially with the support of the GOP, to whom she threw control of the State Senate back in January 2007.

Having learned what I learned, I now believe the TDP had no choice other than to boot Kurita. However, this comes with a warning: You need to take the steps necessary to prevent a recurrence, such as requiring registration by Party in order to vote in a primary election, and taking pre-emptive action to prevent someone who stabs the party in the back, as Kurita did in 2007, from ever having the opportunity to represent the Democratic Party.

Do you think the GOP would have put up with something like this? Hell no, so why should we?

I just noticed a story moving on the wires that no one subpoenaed to testify in Alaska's 'Troopergate' hearings, all government employees, excluding the 'First Dude', will respond to the subpoenas. They claim that only a full vote demanding testimony from the entire Alaska legislature would compel them to appear and speak. So the state's AG is asking for the subpoenas all be withdrawn.

Hey, if the Governor won't testify, why should they?

Kleinheider confirms, Kurita has filed a certificate of write-in candidacy for all three counties in her senate district.

It seems TNDP Chair Gray Sasser is taking a lot (most?) of the heat for the Kurita decision.

In fairness, it wasn't his decision. It was the 33-member TNDP Executive Committee's decision. We haven't seen the minutes or the roll call yet. I don't know if Gray Sasser even has a vote.

And I don't know anything about the internal goings on in the state party apparatchik (or Nashville or Memphis politics where most of it seems to originate) or how complicit Sasser may or may not be in the beefs of one sort or another many of us have with the guy, but it hardly seems fair to blame him for all the ills of Tennessee Democrats. He has a pretty tough job given the political climate in our state. It ranks right down there with the guy who shovels elephant shit at the circus. Oh, wait...

Today is the deadline to file for write-in certification. Kleinheider analyzes the possible next moves.

As anyone who is interested is probably aware, Sen. Rosalind Kurita's Democratic primary nomination has been voided by the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee due to being "incurably uncertain."

What is certain is the generally negative reaction from Tennessee bloggers on both ends of the political spectrum:

• KingstonSprings.org: Now a committee has to decide who will earn the right to represent our county.

• Andy Axel: State Party chairman Gray Sasser does not understand the meaning of the word "democracy."

• Sean Braisted: The ramifications of this meeting won't play out for a couple of days or weeks, but one thing I'm fairly confident in saying is that there will be significant blowback from an obviously flawed and, dare I say, undemocratic process.

• (UPDATE) LeftWingCracker: You all know that I thought Rosalind sold us down the river when she voted for Ron Ramsey, and I openly endorsed Tim Barnes to replace her. However, he LOST by 19 votes, and if the recount failed, they should have backed down. Just as I opposed the voiding of the Ophelia Ford election, I oppose this as well.

• (UPDATE) Silence Isn't Golden: Because why vote for Democrats if a primary can be so easily overturned if the party doesn't like the outcome? Why campaign for Democrats if the party doesn't value your contribution? Why try to get involved period if they're fighting tooth and nail to hold on to their own power at the expense of everyone else?

• (UPDATE) Sharon Cobb: When Kurita voted to put Ron Ramsey and the Republicans in charge of the State Senate, I was furious. I believe I called her a turncoat at the time. I still disagree with that vote. That said, I'm even more infuriated that my party would overturn a legitimate election as a vendetta for Kurita casting a legitimate, though unpopular vote

• (UPDATE) Newscoma: Smoke-filled room politics. Arrogant democratic leadership in this state is what it looks like.

• (UPDATE) Tennessee Ticket: The state Senate election was certified as a victory, albeit narrow, for Rosalind Kurita, and the state Executive Committee has chosen to ignore that fact. The only apparent reason for their choice is, in my opinion, petty partisan revenge.

• Music City Oracle: Regardless of party affiliation, this kind of contempt for election outcomes should not stand. One hopes that Tennessee voters will not forget.

• Stacey Campfield:: Got to love the Democrats. What ever it takes to get their man in. Forget the will of the voter.

• Bill Hobbs: The Tennessee Democrat Party steals an election from a woman (and the party is poised to hand the nomination to the man who lost the election) because the woman may have attracted some Republican votes. Apparently, the Democrats don't want Republicans to vote for their candidates. (Note: post has been removed, this is from the BlogNetNews RSS feed.)

To recap, Sen. Kurita won the primary by a mere 19 votes out of 8,935 total votes in the Democratic primary. The election results were certified. Republicans did not field a candidate, so the winner of the primary goes on to win the senate seat in November.

Her opponent, Tim Barnes, challenged the election and got it overturned by the Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee.

Here are my thoughts.

If I lost by only 19 votes (0.2%), I'd contest the election, too, and so would you. I'd at least ask for a recount. Barnes said he was going to. I never heard any more about it. Was there a recount?

(Unfortunately, Tennessee uses electronic voting machines with no human-readable audit trail. Most would expect a recount to produce exactly the same results. Personally, I wouldn't, and in fact would expect a different tally every time if every voting machine in every precinct were actually "recounted." There are a number of procedural errors that can result in lost or miscounted votes.)

Barnes filed a challenge, citing a litany of alleged irregularities. Kurita filed a response, refuting them point by point.

The allegation that appears to have "stuck," however, is that Republicans were "illegally" voting in the Democratic primary for Kurita (even though there was evidence presented in Kurita's response that many were "crossing over" to vote for Barnes). This was apparently enough to convince the TNDP Executive Committee to void the election and hand the problem off to someone else.

(Personally, I have never been asked to prove my party affiliation beyond the act of asking for the party's ballot in a primary. "Crossover" voting happens all the time in Tennessee. And as I understand it, the only remedy in state law is for poll watchers to challenge individual voters' party affiliation at the time they vote, not after the election is certified.)

What essentially happened was the TNDP Executive Committee voted to overturn a certified election result, albeit a close one.

So, was this really about crossover voting or Sen. Kurita "illegally" using the restroom at a polling place? (Seriously, that last one was an actual complaint.)

No. This was about revenge. Sen. Kurita cast the deciding vote that elected a Republican Speaker of the Senate and Lt. Governor, and she has never been forgiven for it. Reaching across the aisle in the dawn of the "post-partisan" era of politics may be OK, but standing across the aisle with the opposition is not. (Unless you're the governor, of course.)

Lots of Tennessee Democrats were pissed off about it at the time, and rightly so in many respects. But everybody is entitled to a mistake or two. And despite his long and distinguished service in the Tennessee Senate, most Democrats would likely agree (privately anyway) that Sen. Wilder was becoming a liability if not an embarrassment. Perhaps the outcome would have been different if Democrats had stood up a better candidate.

As it is, a distinguished state senator with a long and successful record of advancing progressive legislation on education, health care, equal rights for women, and more, a senator who represented the interests of military personnel and their families attached to the 101st Airborne in Clarksville during a time of war, and one of the few women serving in the Tennessee Senate, has been thrown under the bus because of some inside baseball and hard feelings over one political misstep.

Her replacement will not yield the same power, and this diminishes the Democrats' influence in the Senate whether or not they are able to gain numerical control.

Ironically, the 33 to 11 vote by the TNDP Executive Committee gave Barnes a larger margin of victory (22 votes) than Kurita got in the primary. It helps that they were the votes that actually counted.

The TNDP decision leaves it up to a trilateral convention (Cheatham, Houston, and Montgomery counties) to decide who goes on the ballot in November. In effect, a handful of party officials and insiders will pick the 22nd district's state senator. They could make it right by restoring Kurita to the ballot, but judging from how this appears to have been engineered that doesn't seem likely.

News coverage:

• The Leaf Chronicle: Kurita election invalid

• The Leaf Chronicle: Hearing laced with politics

• The Tennessean: Democrats reject Kurita win

• Knoxville News Sentinel: Panel rules Kurita's victory invalid

Kleinheider:

• The Show Trial At The Sheraton: Rosalind Answers For John Shelton

• Alma Sanford Renounces Her Party Affiliation After Kurita Decision

The "lipstick on a blog" edition of the weekly Tennessee progressive blog roundup...

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Back to the election: Eight years of simplistic, slow-witted leadership has been more than enough. I don’t care how much you’d like to hang out with these people, or how thirsty you are for a beer in their company, that doesn’t mean that they have what it takes to lead this country in the right direction.

• 55-40 Memphis: Let Hillary take on Palin: Hillary can righteously and authentically say that Sarah Palin is an insult to woman candidacies. ... the sexist media will eat it up. I'll bet a Hillary soundbite shows up in every evening news until election day.

• Andy Axel (at KnoxViews): A Tennessee Majority = 50% + 1 - 20. Give or Take.: In case you haven't heard, majority does not rule in Tennessee

• Aunt B.: My Morning Palin Thought: This, America, is why we still need feminism, because, when the chips are down, women need a stronger skill-set than "just flirt your way out of the problem."

• BlountViews: TPO Regional Mobility Plan 2035 Meeting: From a previous, informal survey, TPO determined bike transportation (27%) to be a primary concern, more transit (21%) and alternative transportation (17%) were next in line of importance. It was reported that 50 percent of respondents surveyed thought new roads were the least important.

• Carole Borges: Palin said religious views helping shape her state's future: If you believe that hearing the voice of God and speaking to God directly about political policy is a smart way to govern, then vote for McCain/ Palin.

• The Crone Speaks: Obama Doesn’t Support the Families of 9/11 and Other Outrageous Crap: This is a serious problem. Seriously, folks, when the media itself promotes the lies of the McCain campaign, without giving viewers/listeners factual information, there is a very serious problem. While we have to be on notice not to believe the media outlets, and do our own fact checking on every issue, Krugman notes that the actual lies are a sign of things to come, should the lying team somehow take the White House.

• Joe Powell: Narrative Fiction Rules The 2008 Campaign: It's both fascinating and a little sickening to see news reporters and their dubious pundits talk to each other about how they are being suckered and manipulated by the McCain campaign but are not posing those questions and concerns to McCain himself.

• Don Williams: Why Obama should get mad, get loud and get real, NOW: Voter caging, spoilt ballots caused by lousy machines in poor districts, vote suppression, an October Surprise, media turning blind eyes to McCain’s parade of lies, the Bradley Effect, Swift-boating and outright malfeasance all work to McCain’s advantage. So, unless media get serious about issues and lay off the beauty contest, I don’t see how Obama wins. Bonus:

• TNDP: Sen. Diane Black Wants to Deny Voting Rights: If you haven’t voted in the past three primary elections, at least.

• Enclave: I Wonder If Sarah Palin Ever Read BillHobbs.com in 2005?: Back in 2005, the prospect of using the porkbarrel airport as justification for the porkbarrel bridge to nowhere was frightening for a conservative blogger. Now that Bill Hobbs is in charge of communications of Tennessee's Republican Party, he does not seem too frightened by Palin's use of the justification. In fact, Hobbs is now defending her performance in the ABC interview and rationalizing that she did stop the bridge to nowhere.

• Fletch: Arrowmont for Sale: I was saddened to see the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg put up for sale. It was one of the few things Gatlinburg had going for it culturally (after Panera Bread was replaced by a hot dog stand). The "oasis in a cultural desert" will most likely be turned into a few candle and t-shirt shops. Yes, I'm an elitist. Plus: Monuments

• KnoxViews: Workers concerned about jobs and health care, trust Obama to help: According to a recent survey, more than half of American workers are worried about finding a new job if they become unemployed, followed closely by concerns over their ability to pay for healthcare insurance. The poll also shows Barack Obama as the preferred candidate for tackling U.S. workplace issues. Plus: The shocking truth about Sarah Palin

• Lean Left: The score: ...if these analyses are a representative sample, the Obama camp attacks somewhat more often than the McCain camp, but their attacks are much more accurate (or much less inaccurate, depending on your perspective). ... Also, chew on those numbers for a minute: Only one anti-Obama attack out of nineteen could be scored better than "half-true."

• LeftWingCracker: It's time to raise and allocate resources: Yes, of course I support Bob Tuke; however, I presume you've noticed that the DSCC is treating him like plutonium, right? They're not sending money here, so I'm not looking for miracles. OK then. ... In Shelby County, we still need to crank it up large for the Democratic ticket for several reasons... Plus: YOU NEED TO CHECK YOUR REGISTRATION

• Liberadio(!): Podcast: September 8, 2008: Part 4 The Daily Show is not afraid of Karl Rove. Are you listening those of you in the real news media? Or will you show the “deference†required of you by the McCain campaign?

• Newscoma: Dear Tennessee Democratic Party: ...I think you need to come to Hooterville and talk to some of the people I’ve been talking to the past few days. Go to all of the Hootervilles, not just mine. You are blowing it, in my opinion, when it comes to rural voters and in many ways, you are disenfranchising younger voters here. This isn’t good, Nashville leaders. Plus: Fun With Newspapers

• The Pesky Fly: Seven Years and Counting: Failure is too generous a word to describe George Bush's efforts to deliver justice. He didn't fail. He and his minions have done exactly what they wanted to do. Capturing Osama bin Laden wasn't on their list. They had other priorities. There was a massive, world-changing event to politically capitalize. There was a country with vast oil wealth to pillage. There was a police state and one party rule to establish. There was an economy to crash so the broken pieces could be bought for pennies on the dollar.

• Progressive Nashville: Think America, think: One of the most depressing parts of the Republican national convention last week was the crowd chanting "Drill baby, drill" during former mayor Rudy Giuliani's speech that included calls for offshore oil drilling. ... The moment illustrated once again how the party is able to convince people to act against their own best interests to enrich private companies and individuals.

• Brian at Resonance: Sarah Palin, The Trojan Moose: I'll be more specific--every day not spent discussing the economy is a victory for McCain. It was no accident that the economy was barely mentioned at the Republican convention. The fact is that it is in worse shape than government statistics indicate. It's the trump card in the Obama hand, if the campaign stays on message. Therefore Obama must resist the temptation to be sidetracked by the Trojan Moose. Plus: Against Government, Yet Cashing The Checks

• RoaneViews: Flight of Heroes: Just for today, let's try not to think of a President reading "My Pet Goat", or the awful aftermath for our country and the world that these terrible attacks were used to justify. Let's honor the innocent victims and the heros...

• Russ McBee: Woodward's series on the "surge" and its real architects: After nearly eight years of witness to the Bush calamity, no one should really be surprised that the Bush administration sought and accepted military advice, not from actual military commanders, but from the same group of radical zealots who had helped cook the books to justify the invasion in the first place.

• Sean Braisted: The Monkey Trial: Had I been in Clarksville, I most likely would've voted for Barnes in the primary...but he didn't win, and I think Mr. Rochelle adequately refuted all the arguments made by Barnes' lawyers, except the one that I think this decision hinged on, and that was that Kurita wasn't a "good Democrat" for voting to make Ron Ramsey the Speaker of the Senate. Ultimately, it seemed clear that is what this farcical process came down to.

• Sharon Cobb: America, Don't Be Stupid Again: Eight years of George W. Bush wasn't enough for you? You want four more? Because if you vote for McCain/Palin, you'll get four more years and worse. You can't seriously be buying that McCain/Palin are the real mavericks, can you?

• GoldnI: Marsha Blackburn - Really A Man, Baby!: Moral of the story--when Sarah Palin is criticized, it's always going to be sexist and she has every right to be upset. When it's Hillary being criticized, the whiny crybaby needs to bite her tongue and get over it. It's nice to see that Marsha Marsha Marsha has become a feminist crusader all of a sudden.

• Southern Beale: It’s Gutter Politics As Usual: Sarah Palin as Vice President is a cravenly laughable political stunt. It’s wedge politics as usual. Hearing her snide jabs at Barack Obama in her RNC speech proved to me that Sarah Palin represents nothing more than the same divisive, anything-goes, culture-wars, red vs blue, "War On Christmas," fear-based, Karl Rove-style politics of destruction we've lived with for the past eight years.

• TennViews: Blackburn gets "dishonorable mention" on 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress list: Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) has released their "20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and 4 to Watch)" list. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN7) made the "watch list": Plus: Tennessee is a top 10 state legislative battleground state

• Vibinc: Seven: In the past seven years, we have seen one thing after another justified by the attacks of 9/11; two wars, domestic spying, torture, and a full frontal attack on the civil liberties that are the foundation of our nation. All of these things slipped by a nation rapt in a feverish nationalism masquerading as patriotism.

• WhitesCreek Journal: Good is Dead?...(Maybe Not!): Is there a light rising in America? Will we demand that our candidates for the highest office in the land, simply tell us the truth? Unless the referees in America blow the whistle, the cheaters will win.

• Women's Health News: PMSBuddy - Almost as Irritating as the Election Coverage: PMSBuddy lets you send and receive notifications to others that you have PMS, you know, so they know not to take you seriously. ... Okay, first, "recurring occurrences" are not really unexpected. Second, if dinner plates are hurled because PMS comes up, it’s because some jerk dismissively asked "Are you PMSing?" as a way to dismiss some woman’s thoughts and feelings. Third, menstruation is not shameful. Maybe you don’t want to talk about it over spaghetti and meatballs, but if you’re close enough to send alerts from PMSBuddy, you’re close enough to have an actual conversation. Like adults.

EDITOR'S NOTES:

1. There's so much good stuff this week it is hard to pick just a few posts to highlight. Go to the front page of these blogs and just start reading...

2. A couple of blog address changes:

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera is now at http://thorg.com/blog/

• Newscoma is now at http://newscoma.com/

• Vibinc is now at http://www.vibincblog.com/

Update your blogrolls and news feeds accordingly...