Time For This Weeks Liberal Tennessee Round-Up

The Sunday “President’s Day Eve and only 337 more days of Dubya” edition of the TennViews weekly blog roundup showcasing the best and brightest bloggers in Tennessee and what they are talking about…

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Roger Clemens: It’s baseball. Not foreign policy. Not the world economy. Not health care reform. Plus: Chesapeake Primary live blogging

• 55-40 Memphis: Do you believe in magic (reprise)?: Instead of campaigning to his base during the primaries, he played to the general election audience. Why? I’m making a list of theories.

• Ablogination: Voter Considerations: Privacy, is it important to you?: ATT, Verizon, Blue Cross, Homeland Security — all of them and many more have, are, and will again violate your privacy.
• Aunt B.: Way to Miss the Point: It’s not about who Henry thinks it’s okay, hypothetically, to rape. It’s about who he’s actually willing to screw over in order to advance the Democratic cause.

• BlountViews: Stop using drive-thru windows: Do you realize how much gas you use? Do you realize how much money you waste? Do you realize how much pollution is released in the air when you spend the 5-10 minutes at the drive-thru? Plus: The private property vs. Ridgetop Protection Dance

• The Crone Speaks: Bush Respects the Law?: Human rights and human dignity — tell that to the millions of people that cannot afford health insurance. Tell that to the millions of people that go to bed hungry each night. Tell that to the growing number of people that are now living below the poverty level. I dare say these millions of people would disagree. Plus: Energy Vampires

• Cup of Joe Powell: Sen. Kilby Reconsiders Dog Laws: He wrote about withdrawing his original bill, and filing a new one, though there are still some issues to resolve… Plus: Will State OK Verifiable Votes?: The new process, however, will not improve your choices nor negate any regrets you might have for the choices you made.

• Don Williams: Are Democrats developing some spine at last in opposing Bush?

• The Donkey’s Mouth: Right-Wing Publication Admits Fault in Defamation Suit: Seven years later, the tactics of the right in 2000 are becoming clearer. Plus: A Lose-Lose Position: Tennessee’s senior Senator concedes his own party’s ineffective way of grappling with issues. Bonus: Props to Wade Munday (Warning: HobbsLink)

• Enclave: The One Where I Define “Corporate Money” Against the Rotation of Campaign Spin: Rarely do I find myself in a position where I have to correct flagrant misinformation from fellow supporters of the candidate for whom I voted, but one of those moments is here. Plus: A Relatively Short Primary Did Nothing for Dems in 2004: I might not be anywhere close to panicking about dire predictions of long, divisive primary seasons in 2008. And, a good question: Is there a certain pragmatism among Dems that trumps liberal litmus tests?

• Fletch: Fletch for Congress! Plus: Go Fish, and: Boat and Breakfast

• KnoxViews: Contempt of Congress, Perspective, Clinton’s Texas firewall not so protective, and Ethics crusader Frank Buck retiring from the state House

• Lean Left: Big win: This is an important win, because it shows that incumbents can be beaten, that if they stray too far form what it means to be a Democrat, they can be removed from office. Plus: How Clinton’s Actions On FISA Undermine Her Campaign

• Left of the Dial: Interesting media/workplace development plays out on Frank’s blog here, here, and here.
• Left Wing Cracker: That’s what I get for sending the email out!: This reminds me of something Steve Cohen once said about Phil Bredesen: He’s a manager, not a leader. Plus: How do I get this Iraq War charge off my bill?

• Liberadio: Podcast: Super Fat Tornado Tuesday, Media Matters for America Smackdown with Elbert Ventura, and lots more.

• NewsComa: “Oswald Still Dead”, and I can’t believe that crap like this still exists but every time I think we have moved forward I’m reminded that we haven’t.

• Pesky Fly: Branston on Matthews: Comparing what Thaddeus Matthews does on his blog (and, indeed what most bloggers — even the brilliant ones assembled here) to established professional journalists is like comparing Dolly Parton to a male Dolly Parton impersonator singing “Jolene” at the karaoke bar.

• Progressive Nashville: The Obama sugar rush: Change takes more than a powerful speech by one person. Tennessee gets props for education: This report, like others before, demonstrates that our real work in improving education must come in improving the family lives of children.

• Resonance (at KnoxViews): Weather Closings (not what you think)
• RoaneViews: Tommy can you Hear me?: Tommy Kilby is a crucial vote to preserve Tennessee’s mountains. Plus: Water we gonna do about it?: 157,000,000 gallons of drinking water leaked out of Oliver Springs waterlines in 2007. That’s an astounding figure.

• Russ McBee: The continuing crisis: The charges, the torture-derived evidence, the trials, the rules of procedure, the judge, the jury, the sentences, and the executions will all be carried out conveniently beyond the reach of American civilian courts, the UCMJ, an international body like the ICC, or anything else resembling the rule of law or democratic values… Plus: McCain’s hypocrisy on torture

• Sean Braisted: Damn Pledges: Obama seems to find himself in a bit of a pickle. While he is on track to be the most well financed, both by big and small donors, candidate in US History; there is a bit of a snag. Plus: Top 5 bad-ass Presidents of all time

• Sharon Cobb: JEWS HATE Jesus: I call on Nikki Tinker to denounce antisemitism in all forms, especially against her main opponent, Congressman Steve Cohen. Plus: He’s Black. She’s A Female. Just In Case You Failed To Notice…: How ironic is it that the Democrats have an African American man or a woman who is going to be their nominee, and their main focus is they have an African American man or a woman who is going to be their nominee?

• Silence Isn’t Golden: Thoughts On Steve Cohen: Steve Cohen has become the victim of a disgusting anti-Semitic attack. The only difference was that I figured it would come from the far-right white evangelicals, rather than from where it did. Plus: Nikki Tinker’s “Denouncement”: I’m not buying it. Bonus: Can I Just Say…: You know you’re a Vanderbilt fan when you see they’re up by 41-11 at the half, and your first thought is, “How are they going to blow it this time?”

• Southern Beale: Why I Hate Insurance Companies: Asking doctors to snitch on their patients kinda drives a wedge in the doctor-patient relationship, doesn’t it? I don’t know too many doctors who went to medical school so they could serve the needs of for-profit insurance companies, not people seeking healthcare.

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Obama Media Blitz:: Is Obama a long overdue charismatic leader? Is he the star of a cult of personality? Or is Obama the Messiah? Plus: Obama Attacks: Suggests Hillary Has Mood Swings: Hillary launches attacks when she’s feeling down? Periodically? Okay, I get it.

• TennViews: Tennessee Voter Confidence Act advances, and: TN Senate Republicans out of step on Pre-K

• Vibinc: Opines from the road on a variety of happenings this week.

• Whites Creek Journal: Clinton V Obama?: I’m one of those rare voters who thinks about what will happen if this candidate or that candidate gets elected. Plus: With Us…Or Against Us?: Have you made a call to customer service? Any customer service? About your television, computer, washing machine, or your Verizon or AT&T telephone service? All of these companies have off shore call centers. Congratulations! You’ve made the list. We all have. This is a travesty and an orgy of Constitutional crime.

• Women’s Health News: Raising Women’s Voices: A Health Care Reform Conference I’d Love to Attend: The MergerWatch website is well worth a look if you’re interested in how religious health restrictions affect not just reproductive health, but end-of-life decisions, HIV/AIDS care, LGBT care, medical research, and other issues.