Catholics Unite!
Stacey Campfield should claim religious discrimination after he was thrown out of a Knoxville restaurant
because of his political and religious views:
Of course, since this writer believes that a business owner ought to
have the right to do business or not do business in the way they might
choose, we uphold Ms. Boggs' right to throw Campfield out of her
establishment, thereby also losing the business of the compatriots who
were with him. We are compelled to ask, however, what the reaction from
our friends on the Left would be were the tables turned. What if
Campfield were a prominent homosexual rights activist? Perhaps he might
an open advocate for so-called "gay marriage," while, in our reverse
scenario, Ms. Boggs were a Christian business owner who did not wish to
be seen associating with someone engaging in activity she viewed as
openly sinful and promoting political and social ideas related to the
open sin that were repulsive and contrary to everything she stood for.
As a result of this then, she asked Campfield to leave? The so-called
"gay community" would be in outrage, they would be filing complaints to
the State and federal government, shouting discrimination, and using the
made-up word "homophobe" on Ms. Boggs.
The reality is that the Left are the purveyors of the dictatorship of
relativism. You must believe as they do and embrace the moral relativism
which they have spent the past half-century or more watering down our
society with, or otherwise you are unworthy to be treated as a citizen.
Dignity then, to the Left, applies only to those who embrace the twisted
moral and social universe which the Left has created.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Local politics, Miscellany, Political correctness, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Occupy the Rose Parade?
Is nothing
sacred to these people?:
Another group of Occupy protesters are set to make utter fools of themselves
before a national and worldwide audience. The annual Tournament of
Roses Parade is scheduled to get underway this morning in Pasadena,
California. The annual spectacle features floats made of roses, a
beautiful Rose Queen, and ends the day with the oldest college football
bowl game in existence, the Rose Bowl. It isn't remotely a political
place or a political event, indeed many of the floats and attractions in
the parade are geared toward children. That doesn't seem to matter to
the publicity hounds of Occupy. Rather than organize their own event,
they are going to sponge off of the hard work of the Tournament of Roses
organizers in what they are calling "Occupy the Rose Parade," where the
intend to display a giant octopus at the end of the parade route.
Labels: Democrats, Duh, Federal politics, News Media, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
NAACCCP
Watch it, if Tennessee doesn't repeal our voter ID law, our friends at the
NAACP are going to bring in the UN!:
Suppose that the United Nations Human Rights Commission decides that
Tennessee is violating the human rights of voters by requiring them to
identify themselves. How would the U.N. correct the problem? Would the
United Nations attempt to tell the U.S. Justice Department how to
interpret constitutional law? If the Justicew Department or the federal
government did not intervene in Tennessee, does the NAACP propose that
the U.N. send in multinational troops to enforce its will on the people
of the State of Tennessee?
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
The Grand Design
The supercommittee that was designed to fail
did what it was designed to do:
No Democrat on that committee was going to agree to cut entitlements to the degree needed to restore the full faith and credit of the United States because it will undermine the Democrats' core constituency groups. No Republican would agree to tax increases without significant cuts and reform to entitlement spending, nor should they. The even numbers on the committee in light of those realities insured that the process would fail before it even began. The President likely wanted it that way, because now he can cut national defenses so deeply that he will make this country a weakling and a by-word in the earth, but he'll find ways to increase entitlement spending if Obama should, God forbid, remain in office. Failure is what the President wanted all along, since failure is what his administration is all about.
.
Labels: Congress, Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Economy, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
Occupy the Ash Heap?
Is Occupy Nashville
slowly dying?:
Belief that the constitutional rights of the people who are sitting in on Legislative Plaza are sacrosanct, and agreement with the ideas that many of the protesters are promoting are two different things, however, and this writer has been clear that his sympathies lie with the Constitution, not with this political movement. One of the problems with the so-called Occupy Movement is that-especially in Nashville-even its supporters do not know what its clear goals are, and no one from Occupy Nashville has laid out a clear program for the Tennessee General Assembly in the next session that focuses on their agenda. This may be because they have no real agenda and no leader-Occupy Nashville has given us some idea of what they are against, but they cannot tell us what they are in favor of it change the things that they believe are dysfunctional. Even people who are otherwise inclined to support the Occupiers admit this is a problem.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Elections, Local politics, Miscellany, Tennessee politics
Occupy the Courtroom
A New York State Supreme Court Judge yesterday proved me wrong, but there may have been
reasons other than the obvious:
Secondly-and far more importantly-as several people have pointed out to me in the last 24 hours, Zuccotti Park is actually private property. It is owned by a private company, Brookfield Properties, which has an agreement with the city that allows the land to be used as a park. Since Brookfield owns the turf, you can be certain that they weren't pleased that their lovely green space was being turned into a festering, desease-ridden, crime infested public health hazard. We may never know whether it happened or not, but it might be a fair bet that the Brookfield folks went to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and told him to clean up the mess or the long-standing agreement to allow Zuccoti to be used as a park by the city would be brought to an end based on the city failing to keep the place in good order.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Miscellany, Political correctness
Bloomberg Takes A Page from Nashville
Apparently New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg forgot that trying to remove Occupy protestors
has backfired elsewhere:
Apparently
Mayor Bloomberg didn't get the word that this was tried in Tennessee,
where the protests weren't particularly popular, and it had the effect
of making people side with the protesters who would not otherwise be so
inclined to do so.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Miscellany, Tennessee politics
Occupy Some Sense
So the Occupy Nashville people get to stay at the Plaza-
what is their plan?:
What is the continuing purpose of the sit-in at the Capitol? What demands do the protesters have of the Tennessee General Assembly? Since the Occupy movement seems to enjoy comparing itself to the Civil Rights movement of the 1950's and 1960's, then the leaders of Occupy should know that at some point, that movement established clear goals, and moved from sit-ins and boycotts to tangible political action.
Labels: Duh, Local politics, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Taking Responsibility
Now that Occupy Nashville has won their First Amendment fight, they must take responsibility for keeping
order and decency on the Plaza:
By choosing to remain at the Capitol after hours, Occupy Nashville has
chosen to assume the risks associated with doing so. As a result, the
protestors should assume the responsibility associated with maintaining
cleanliness, decency, and order in a public forum that belongs to all
Tennesseans-not just those who agree with Occupy Nashville.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Something Out of Nothing
The State has succeeded in making a big something
out of absolutely nothing:
All of that changed on Thursday and Friday nights. With the arrest of protesters on the Plaza after the imposition of a curfew which had not previously existed and which was clearly aimed at them, the Occupy Nashville crowd suddenly had a purpose that didn't previously exist. At that point, even many conservatives came to be concerned with the actions of the State. When more conservative commentators such as this writer, along with former State GOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs, and State Senator Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) come together with liberal bloggers with whom we never agree, you know there is a problem here.
All of that changed on Thursday and Friday nights. With the arrest of protesters on the Plaza after the imposition of a curfew which had not previously existed and which was clearly aimed at them, the Occupy Nashville crowd suddenly had a purpose that didn't previously exist. At that point, even many conservatives came to be concerned with the actions of the State. When more conservative commentators such as this writer, along with former State GOP Communications Director Bill Hobbs, and State Senator Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) come together with liberal bloggers with whom we never agree, you know there is a problem here.
Labels: Duh, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Occupy Nashville Overkill
Okay, the Governor may
cost Tennessee taxpayers millions:
Nevertheless, the reaction of State officials in how to deal with the
protest has been overly broad and is blatantly unconstitutional, and
whatever the circumstances of the sit-in at this point, the State has
acted in a way that brings danger to the rights of all of us. First, the
State abruptly changed the rules
for assembly on Legislative Plaza, banning protests without a
permit-one was not previously required until Friday-and closing the
Plaza from 10pm to 6am. The Capitol grounds were not closed to the
public at any hour of the day or night until today. Clearly, this sudden
change of rules-while it may apply to all of us later-was aimed at
Occupy Nashville right now, and that means that the State of
Tennessee has invited a lawsuit, will probably have it by nightfall, and
those suing will be in a position in which liberals rarely find
themselves-on the constitutionally correct side of the issue.
Labels: Conservatism, Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Who Are They Trying to Influence?
The Occupy Nashville crowd has been given until 8pm tonight to
clear out of the Capitol:
Since the Constitution guarantees the right of protesters to peacefully
assemble and "petition the government for a redress of grievances," it
is fair to ask: If the Occupy Nashville protesters continue to be camped
out at Legislative Plaza, what are they asking the Tennessee General
Assembly specifically to do? Have they presented a list of their
collective demands to Governor Bill Haslam, Lieutenant Governor Ron
Ramsey, or House Speaker Beth Harwell? Are the demands of the protesters
things that a State legislative body has the constitutional authority
or ability to act upon? Perhaps most importantly, are many of these
protesters even aware of the fact that the Tennessee General Assembly is
a part-time legislature, that most of its members have a life outside
of the Capitol and that, by the way, they aren't in session in October?
It would appear that the answer to all of these questions is no.
"Occupy Nashville" might see an occasional legislator duck in and out of
a committee meeting from time to time, but if they are looking to wield
influence, camping out at the Capitol in the middle of October isn't
the way you do that in Tennessee-the General Assembly isn't there.
Labels: Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Sinking Ship
Tennessee Democrats
are in deep trouble:
As can be expected, Tennessee Democratic Chairman Chip Forrester tried to put a brave face on those very negative numbers in a statement which said that no Republican got a majority. Obama's negatives are so high, however, that the State's Democrats must be concerned about how a large-scale defeat for the President within Tennessee would impact the down-ticket, especially in races for the Tennessee House of Representatives. In the wake of the 2010 General Election, Republicans won 64 seats in the House. Under the standing rules of the body, it takes 66 votes to cut off all debate, and redistricting will come into play for the 2012 election cycle. Since the GOP only needs two more seats in order to reach the 66 they need in order to pass whatever they please with no credible opposition, it might be that 66 comes as part of redrawing districts. Anger with Democrats over that party's perceived support of the man who may be the single most unpopular President in Tennessee history could push the Republican majority in the Tennessee House to 68 seats or higher.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
They Don't Know Jack
Did some folks over in Moore County
forget their medication?:
The County Commission of Moore County has passed a resolution which asks the General Assembly to authorize a county referendum which, if passed, would allow for a $10 per barrel tax on every barrel of whiskey distilled in Moore County Since Moore County has only one legal whiskey distillery-which is, by the way, the most famous in the world-there is no doubt at who the tax is aimed. Since the Jack Daniel distillery would be responsible for some $5 million a year in new taxes under this proposal, in addition to the $1.5 million in local property taxes that they are already paying, one has to suppose that rather than pay a tax that is essentially targeted only at their business, since it is the only one of its kind in Moore County, the good people who distill Tennessee's most famous export will simply pass on this new tax burden to the American consumer of their whiskey-most of whom have never set foot in Moore County, Tennessee.
Standing in the way by both State law and longstanding custom is the Tennessee General Assembly. Now Republican-dominated (it wasn't in recent years' past), neither House nor Senate seems to have an appetite for taxation that is specifically targeted to one particular business. Further, the precedent that this kind of tax would create might bring about economic chaos, as counties look for ways to milk their principle industries without losing them. Those businesses which can leave such an environment would not hesitate to do so. Jack Daniel's Distillery is the largest employer in Moore County, and the "spin-off" jobs created from the still's successful operation provide many local people there with work who wouldn't otherwise have it in the worst economic climate since the 1930's. Do the people of Moore County really want to put that in jeopardy by milking the money from the cash cow that already feeds them?
Labels: Conservatism, Duh, Local politics, Political correctness, Tennessee politics
Corporate Welfare?
The new Electrolux plant in Memphis may be more
corporate welfare than job creation:
The Tennessee Valley Authority has offered a total of $6.5 million in grants, loans, and incentives-paid for by the taxpayers of this State and the nation-to Electrolux. The City of Memphis and Shelby County have taken out enough debt to be paying on the project for the next 25 years, and the taxpayers of Shelby County and the State of Tennessee are footing the bill for the construction of the factory. However, as soon as the first product produced at the plant completes its journey through the assembly line, Electrolux gets to take over ownership of the facility, even though the company didn't pay for its construction. There is also nothing in the contract-if the Commercial Appeal's investigation bears any credibility-that would mandate that Electrolux remain in Memphis or in Tennessee for a specified period of time.
Labels: Conservatism, Duh, Economy, Local politics, Tennessee politics
Not Rocket Science
The way Democrats are reacting to Tennessee's new voter ID law, you would think we passed a law
banning Democrats from voting altogether:
It would be one thing if the State of Tennessee enacted a law which said you had to have an identification card to vote and you have to pay to get one. Yes, under the new law your driver's license counts as an acceptable form of identification, and you do have to pay for those-but that is for the privilege to drive, not to vote. If you don't drive, you can get an ID card free of charge to you. That's right boys and girls, you do not have to pay under our law in Tennessee to receive an identification card that will verify you as a Tennessee resident who is legally entitled to vote. If, because you don't drive, you can't make it to your local County Clerk's office of your own accord, get in touch with the Tennessee Secretary of State's office or the Tennessee Department of Safety, and those people will give you directions on how you can get an ID card that will allow you to vote in all of next year's elections.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Federal politics, Local politics, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
I'm With Kleinheider
The latest victim of the mainstream press attempt to baselessly pick on conservatives has made Tennessee's
most venerable blogger a target:
This writer admits that he has a bias, because like so many bloggers and op-ed writers in Tennessee who have used the internet as a primary vehicle to get their message out to their fellow Tennesseans, and even a national and global audience, he knows A.C. Kleinheider. Before Kleinheider was ever a part of the Lieutenant Governor's staff, he was a blogger first-and was paid to do it. First at Nashville's WKRN, then at the Nashville Post, blogging and aggregating at Post Politics. Kleinheider was the voice of the Tennessee political blogosphere, and no one understands new media the way that A.C. does. Other staffers on both sides of the aisle have admitted that they have had trouble with the lines between State business and the political in positions that are-well, so overtly political.
Labels: Blogging, Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Elections, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
Suppressing Illegal Voters
Tennessee Democratic Chairman Chip Forrester is afraid that Tennessee's new voter identification law will
suppress Democratic turnout among illegal voters:
When we hear Democrats use code-words like "suppress turnout", they really mean that they can't enhance turnout with the constituency groups most likely to be automatic Democratic votes on Election Day, which is why Chip Forrester and his cronies despise the new voter identification law. The groups who would be denied access to the polls-thus "depressing" the turnout-include illegal aliens, those not resident in the precinct in which they are attempting to vote, non-residents of Tennessee, and those which are known no longer to animate this mortal coil
.
Labels: Democrats, Duh, Elections, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
"Waaaaaaaaaah...I Want My Naifeh"
Cue the crying Democrats
over redistricting in 3...2...1..:
When Democrats controlled the General Assembly, they allowed Democratic
Congressmen to decide their district lines and threw Republicans the
scraps. When determining legislative districts, former House Speaker
Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington) had a goal not only of protecting Democratic
incumbents, but especially those that were personally loyal to him.
After the Naifeh crew got through carving up the House to protect
themselves, Republicans would get the leftovers, and if you happened to
get drawn out of your district, oh well...it meant you probably gave
Boss Jimmy trouble in the first place.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Elections, Federal politics, Local politics, News Media, Presidential Election, Republican Party, Tennessee politics
In the Crapper
The real reason the Obama Administration is trying to say that Standard and Poor's is somehow wrong is because S&P essentially
says we are in the crapper:
In other words, Standard and Poor's essentially believes that the situation in this country is (for lack of any better words to describe it) in the crapper, and that barring a miracle, our debt situation-which is already untenable-is likely to go from the crapper to the sewer line in very short order. Once we move into the economic and fiscal sewer there is no turning back, and without drastic reform of our entitlements system in this country-something S&P says in their report that they doubt we have the political will to accomplish-we have a one-way ticket to an economic version of the world of Mad Max. S&P essentially tells its investors in the that the United States either must drastically cut entitlements, including Social Security and Medicare, or we must very drastically raise taxes, and that the latter would be no cure-all if it induced anymore spending at all.
Labels: Conservatism, Democrats, Duh, Economy, Federal politics, Local politics, Presidential Election, Tennessee politics
