The Butcher's Bill

In 2005, the last year for which a complete FBI Uniform Crime Report is available, there were 14,860 homicides committed in the United States.

10,100 were committed with firearms.

If you isolate the 7,543 handgun murders from the 2,557 murdered with a different kind of gun, you still are left with one weapon of choice that outpaced knives, blunt objects, personal weapons (Using the body to hit, push, etc), poison, explosives, fire, narcotics, explosives, asphyxiation, strangle, or "other", which encompasses, automobiles, etc.

Spin that to make it sound like more guns on the streets are a good idea.

Go Wish David Holt a Happy Birthday!!!

You heard me! Wish this good friend of mine, this future good friend to all the voters of District 89, a happy 24th (Damn, I feel old) birthday.

Georgia's "Bring Your Gun To Work" Bill

The Georgia legislature is currently considering a bill that would keep companies from banning guns in their parking lots. It's an absurd piece of legislation pushed by--- No surprise here--- The NRA, who seems content with nothing short of creating a "wild west" world where everyone that walks the street does so with a pistol strapped to his leg.

But this bill goes so far that they've overplayed their hands.

The following is an email exchange from a voter who, among other things, seems incapable of discerning just what senate district he lives in, and a veteran legislator that has been a good friend to the NRA through the years, published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

From: Keith L.
Sent: Sat 3/24/2007 10:38 PM
To: Douglas, John
Subject: SB 43
I’m counting on you to stand up for me & get SB 43 to the floor & support it . It’s time to put a stop of having our Second Amendment rights played with.
Keith L.
Lyons, Ga.

From: Douglas, John John.Douglas@senate.ga.gov
To: Keith L.
Sent: Saturday, March 24, 2007 8:53 PM
Subject: RE: SB 43
Don’t count on me, I dont represent Lyons and am voting NO.
John Douglas

From: Keith L.
Sent: Sat 3/24/2007 11:21 PM
To: Douglas, John
Subject: Re: SB 43
Sorry to hear that. I’ll let others know how you feel. Thanks anyway.

From: Douglas, John [mailto:John.Douglas@senate.ga.gov]
Sent: Sat 3/24/2007 11:28 PM
To: Keith L.
Subject: RE: SB 43
While you are contacting others, contact the NRA and tell them their bullying, threatening tactics are backfiring. I have for the past two years earned an A+ and A rating from them and supported their efforts all the way. They are accusing every major company in Georgia of being anti gun, sending out their alerts every few hours naming more companies as anti gun and acting like a hysterical teenaged girl.
They are falling on their swords over this bill and so am I. There is no way I would vote yes with the way they are conducting themselves.
I am sorry we have come to this point and I look forward to supporting logical, rational gun legislation in the future, but not SB 43. I appreciate your efforts, but the NRA is making their supporters look foolish on this one.
By the way, Sen Tommie Williams is your Senator. He is an excellent, articulate spokesman for southeast Georgia. Feel free to call on him at tommie@tommiewilliams.com
John Douglas

Congratulations, Pesky Fly!

I was quite pleased when I went to the Memphis Flyer website and saw that Chris Davis won Green Eyeshade (Who came up with that name?* See update below) award from the Society of Professional Journalists for his two excellent pieces on the Katrina-ravaged Gulf Coast found here and here.
It's well deserved, my friend.

Another local winner was Memphis Magazine editor Marilyn Saler for a magnificent article about life in the 38126 ZIP code, one of the poorest in the country.

UPDATE: Trent, a previous Green Eyeshade winner, was kind enough to fill me in on the derivation of the award's name.

The "Green Eyeshade" term comes from the headgear that editors used to wear in the early part of the century during the glory "Front Page" days of the newspaper. Worn like a baseball cap, with the visor a sort of see-through opaque green, it made harsh light easy on the eyes for editors poring through reams of news copy.

I'm not sure when the Society for Professional Journalists started giving out the awards, but it stems from that.Hunter Thompson was known to wear one during his early adventures in journalism, for what it's worth.

-- Trent, a previous Green Eyeshade winner.

Rove Double Feature - Wanksta, The Prequel

Pay attention to the Young Republican interviewed about four minutes into this clip. (Hat tip to Crooks and Liars)

W's Favorite Historian

It seems that Clueless Leader's favorite historian is about as well-informed as his science advisors. From Slate:

Roberts is as sloppy as he is snobbish. I am seldom bothered by minor errors from a good writer, but Roberts' mistakes are so extensive, foolish, and revealing of his basic ignorance about the United States in particular, that it may be worth noting a few of those I caught in a fast read. The San Francisco earthquake did considerably more than $400,000 in damage. Virginia Woolf, who drowned herself in 1941, did not write for Encounter, which began publication in 1953. The Proposition 13 Tax Revolt took place in the 1970s, not the 1980s—an important distinction because it presaged Ronald Reagan's election in 1980. Michael Milken was not a "takeover arbitrageur," whatever that is. Roberts cannot know that there were 500 registered lobbyists in Washington during World War II because lobbyists weren't forced to register until 1946. Gregg Easterbrook is not the editor of the New Republic. "No man gets left behind" is a line from the film Black Hawk Down, not the motto of the U.S. Army Rangers; their actual motto is "Rangers Lead the Way." In a breathtaking peroration, Roberts point out that "as a proportion of the total number of Americans, only 0.008 percent died bringing democracy to important parts of the Middle East in 2003-5." Leaving aside the question of whether those deaths have brought anything like democracy to Iraq, 0.008 percent of 300 million people is 24,000—off by a factor of 10, which is typical of his arithmetic. If you looked closely enough, I expect you could find an error of one kind or another on every page of the book.

Every day, in every way, this White House is led around by ideology rather than truth.

Wanksta Rap

All you playa haters, all you sucker MCs, you better step off and not be fronting or MC Rove will have to pop a collar and get Jam Master Cheney to bust a cap in your ass.

The Other Cheap Labor

Stacey Campfield must have friends in the Texas State Legislature.

They are now considering the Rent-a-Womb Act, a piece of legislation designed to discourage abortion by giving money to women that put their children up for adoption.

And just what is the princely sum that is offered up to these women in exchange for four months of morning sickness, nine months of constipation, chronic back pain during the third trimester, an alarming need to urinate every five minutes (Brought on by an eight pound person doing a headstand on her bladder), nine months of unbearable hormonal mood swings, hemorrhoids, and high blood pressure which is then capped off by several hours of pain more excruciating than listening to the entire Britney Spears catalog as they attempt to push something the size of a watermelon out of their genitalia?

$500.

This isn't discouraging abortion. This is an episode of "Jackass" waiting to happen.

Strangely enough, it's being sponsored by the a senator from the same party that has built a culture of talking points around the idea that any form of public assistance de-incentivizes work ('Cause, you know, those welfare recipients are such high rollers). They're apparently not too worried that this massive payout will encourage women to supplement their incomes by squeezing out a pup every nine months.

Perhaps it's because they know the payout is too little to incentivize anything. It allows them to trun back to the anti-abortion zealots and pretend that they've accomplished something.

Now THAT'S What I Call A Testimonial.

Longtime Democratic Activist and Shelby County Democratic Party Executive Committee member Joe Young wanted to make sure I brought this here for you to read:

I rarely post comments on blogs. In fact, I've posted only one blog previously on my friend Steve's Leftwingcracker. There's always an exception and I recognize this as an exceptual exception. I can't and shouldn't be mute on this matter. I've known David for a few short years but recognized his value as a human being when I first met him. Through him a optimistic preview of what hopefully lies ahead for political leadership and community activism is possible. There are honest, dedicated, servant-leadership oriented, and hard-working young people out there. Such a person is found in my friend, comrade, and ally, David Holt. I went to work immediately when I heard the rumor that David was considering this step. When I called him and confirmed what I heard was true, I went to work in support of him that same hour. All readers of this blog should do the same. Find out what you can do to help David and Just Do It! No hesitation, no games,procrastination.

David Holt has a great mind and moral compass. He's reliable and sees a thing through to completion. He is well-respected and has a quiet and unassuming dignity that I respect and admire greatly. He is a man of courage and honor. We have a blessing, gift, and advocate in David Holt!

Yours in service,

Joe Wm. Young, II

Vade in pace, Rome.

I know, I know. It's a couple of days late. But there are members of my family that I will miss less than I'll miss Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus, so I was in no hurry to say goodbye.

There will be no more "Rome". Anything that is as expensive to film as that was is doomed. HBO, in conjunction with the BBC, literally rebuilt ancient Rome on a vast sound stage and used it as a platform for some of the most compelling TV to ever grace the tube. I've not read a budget estimate on the second season, but the first cost over $200 million.

In terms of historical accuracy, it was a hit and miss. Pullo and Vorenus were actually based on two soldiers mentioned in Caesar's account of the Gallic Wars, yet the writers never referred to the future Augustus by his proper name (Octavianus, not Octavian). And the timeline was anything but consistent. The entire war between Augustus and Mark Antony (Played masterfully by James Purefoy) spanned roughly nine years, yet the Vorenus children didn't age a day.

But at the end of the day, HBO set out to make an interesting TV show--- Not a historical reenactment. And this is where the show excelled.

It certainly suffered in its second season. You knew as you sat down to watch the first episode of the first season that it would culminate in the assassination of Julius Caesar. You knew that the most logical story for the second season would be the war between Octavian and Antony, but it took forever to get there. The stories seemed without focus. I can honestly say I would have written it quite differently.

But the end was satisfactory, and I'm certain I'm far from the only person mourning the fact that there will be no third season that involves Octavian building up the Roman Empire.

Farewell, Pullo. Farewll, Vorenus.

"I believe they want to kill the death penalty."

The quote above comes from Shelby County Commissioner Wyatt Bunker.

I can't speak for anyone but myself, but I certainly do.

The Shelby County Commission spent two hours last night debating a resolution urging the state legislature to continue the moratorium on Tennessee's use of the death penalty, set to expire in May. The resolution died, as those that opposed the resolution are just as firmly entrenched in their beliefs as those who support it. Two commissioners were absent, and two more abstained from the vote.

Allow me state this in the clearest terms possible--- I do support the resolution.

I don't support it because the unequal application of the death penalty implies that the life of a white victim is worth more than that of a black victim, although it certainly does. A multiple murderer is, statistically speaking, less likely to be executed than a black man that kills a white man.

I don't support the resolution or the moratorium simply because we have yet to find a way to carry out the punishments humanely--- Although that too is true.

I don't support the resolution and the moratorium because criminologists are near unanimous in proclaiming it absolutely useless in the deterrence of crime. Although they are.

I don't support the resolution and the moratorium because trying a capital case and carrying out an execution costs much more than keeping someone in prison for forty years, although that is true.

I don't support it because of some underlying belief that the person on death row is an innocent that has been railroaded by an out of control justice system. I find that to be the weak point of most anti-death penalty arguments. Worst of all, it shortchanges us out of the debate that really matters, sidestepping all questions of morality and guaranteeing that the fight must take place all over again every time a jury hands down a death penalty verdict.

I support the resolution and the moratorium simply because it's wrong on every level to say "Killing someone is bad. And to prove it, we're going to kill you."

Either premeditated murder is bad, or it is not. You have to choose. If you or I capture someone, strap them down, and inject a lethal dose of chemicals into their veins, we go to jail. If we killed a white person, we might even go to death row over it.

If the state does exactly the same thing, it's called "justice".

The people in favor of the death penalty are fond of using a religious argument. "If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Of course, it's worthwhile to note that the argument comes from the book of Exodus--- Well before God's own Son became the victim of the death penalty, the very son that refuted "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" during the Sermon on the Mount.

I urge everyone to support the moratorium--- Simply because it's the right thing to do.

Do I want to kill the death penalty, Commissioner Bunker? You bet I do.

Holt for 89

Get over here and see why you should support this young man. I've had the good fortune of knowing him for about three years, but not everyone is as lucky.

When he's ready to run for a full-time seat, I've got his back. If everyone gets to know him like I do, he'll win his race unanimously when that time comes.

Bush and his Scenery

During the presiden't nationally televised hissy fit in response to the House vote to set a deadline for withdrawal from Iraq, I remarked to a friend that there was a very attractive woman in uniform standing behind Bush. For perhaps the first time ever, I understood what women see in "men in uniform". If this woman was used on the poster, we might be able to enlist enough recruits to form a second combat ready brigade.

Of course, that's not why she was there. She and the other military personnel in attendance served as props so the president could try and send the message "the military stands behind me" instead of "the military stands where I tell it to".

The president, to his credit, has a long history of standing behind the military. In fact, he typically stands about three thousand or so miles behind them any time there's a foreign deployment. As the best and brightest of his generation fought in Vietnam, he stayed home and formed a policy that would one day be known as "No Keg Left Behind" before deciding that Guard service in Alabama was far too close to the front lines for his taste. Thankfully, more diligent Guardsmen remained on duty to make sure that Charlie didn't invade Mobile.

But I digress. Was his use of the military as a prop entirely in accordance with DOD regulations?

It is DoD policy that:

3.1. The wearing of the uniform by members of the Armed Forces (including retired members and members of Reserve components) is prohibited under any of the following circumstances:

...3.1.2. During or in connection with furthering political activities, private employment or
commercial interests, when an inference of official sponsorship for the activity or interest may be drawn.

(Hat tip to AmericaBlog)

The Weekend In Brief

I took the weekend off and came back to find all this on the Freedonian Newsdesk:

Anna Nicole Smith died of an accidental drug overdose
And I still care just as little as when I speculated seven weeks ago that it was likely an accidental drug overdose.

It is now suspected that the failed hit on the Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister was an inside job abetter by a bodyguard that allowed himself to be paid off.
This is some of the progress George W. Bush talks about. Back in the old days, the bodyguard would have been killed too.

A ten year Memphis Police Department veteran was just arrested on corruption charges.
Considering that a man with a job that pays $48,000 per year managed to deposit $43,000 in cash (With a strange odor) into the bank per month, built a large house on the golf course, drives a Hummer, a Mercedes, and a Corvette, owns two fast food restaurants and had been suspended for stealing drugs from a suspect, and bullied a desk sergeant into changing a story during an investigation, and no one suspected anything, the Memphis PD proves once again that its biggest problems run from the top down.

***UPDATE***
An anonymous commenter wished to point out that Director Godwin referred the crooked policeman in question to the FBI's "Tarnished Blue" investigation, and that Godwin has been more diligent than directors past. Fair enough. But considering that he really couldn't be bothered to cover up very well, I still have to wonder why this was not an IAD investigation.

The number of contractors killed in Iraq now stands at 770.
Which gives me a great idea. The only thing the Bush White House seems to like better than Operation Infinite Occupation is giving money to its friends. So let's bring the troops home and let Halliburton pay Blackwater to "Stay the course".

The Army's internal investigation found no "orchestrated" coverup in the death of former NFL star Pat Tillman.
First of all, it's hardly a surprise. Does the military in its present state seem capable of orchestrating anything? If a general even has the capability to organize cleaning up a barrack, George W. Bush tends to run them out.

The secret to the bond between George W. Bush and Rudy Giuliani has now been discovered.
If you look at the drag pictures of him, he looks like Barbara Bush. And Dennis Hastert, really.

How many times were you married, Mrs. Giuliani?
I guess once you reach a certain number, they all tend to run together, much like Jake Ford's arrest record.

Where Are the REAL Libertarians?

Abraham Lincoln was fond of asking people "How many legs does a dog have if you call its tail a leg?". Whoever he was talking to would usually say "Five". Lincoln would then say "No. Because calling its tail a leg doesn't make it one."

Reading up on conservative principles on the internet, one would be led to believe that there are only a dozen actual Republicans in this country. The people who back this administration up on its every abuse of power pretend to be Libertarians, in some misguided notion that feigning third party allegiance gives them a credibility that they simply do not deserve.

Do you support the president's warrantless wiretapping? Sorry. You're not a Libertarian. If the government was shrunk to the levels that you claim to support, it wouldn't have the manpower required to listen in.

Do you support gross abuses of power such as the National Security Letter? So much for that "no government intrusion" thing, huh?

Before I started this blog, I ran a political debate forum for about three years. I noticed a pattern there that I notice here--- Every time the Libertarian Party and the Bush White House are at odds with one another, the faux Libertarians side with the White House.

To real Libertarians--- Please quit letting these counterfeits stink up your party. They're giving you a horrible name. Their presence undermines the principles that you've spent thirty-six years building.

To the Faux Libertarians --- Believe me, I understand your shame at having to admit to being Republican. I would be embarrassed too. I would hate to have to admit that "The Decider" was the apex of my political ideology.

But calling yourselves Libertarians when you disagree with the principles? Do you actually need to read the platform sometime? Freedom of communication? Freedom of religion (Which, in turn, means freedom FROM religion and freedom for ALL religions)? How about the right to privacy? How about keeping the government out of the abortion fight?

Frankly, I'm more Libertarian than most of the people claiming to be Libertarian. Unlike them, I make no pretense.

Number 47 Said to Number 3...

Another day, another jailbound Bush administration official.

J. Steven Griles pled guilty to obstruction of justice today in the Abramoff matter. It was part of a plea bargain from the more serious charges levelled against him when he gave false testimony to the Bureau of Indian Affairs twice on Abramoff's behalf.

As I read CNN's coverage of it, I couldn't help wondering what has become of this nation. Once upon a time, high-ranking government officials had enough of a sense of shame to their misdeeds that they actually bothered to cover up their corruption.

For example: Griles co-owns a vacation house with Sue Ellen Wooldridge who, until January, served as Assistant Attorney General in charge of environment and natural resources. The third partner in the vacation home is Donald R. Duncan, a lobbyist for ConocoPhillips. Nine months after they went in on this $980,000 house, Wooldridge signed an agreement giving ConocoPhillips more time to clean up air pollution surrounding their refineries.

Whatever happened to the good old days? Politicians used to at least hide their corruption.

Draft David Holt!

So I was talking to a few friends last night, and we were discussing good people to get the interim appointment to fill the District 89 seat recently vacated by Beverly Marrero now that she's a state senator.

The Shelby County Commission chose wisely to pick someone that wasn't going to be running for the office when they had to appoint someone to fill Steve Cohen's seat until a special election could be held. Shea Flinn represented District 30 so well that it was really a shame to see him go.

They should do it again. Kevin Gallagher and John Farmer will be running for the seat in the special election. So who can best serve District 89 in the interim?

It's my honor to recommend not only who I consider to be the best man for the job--- But THE man for the job. My good friend David Holt.

He's a fellow blogger, so it's not difficult to find out what this man is about. You can read his words. He's the sitting Vice Chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party and sits on enough committees that I could probably do two posts naming them.

Furthermore, whether you agree with him or disagree with him, you can count on his unerring honesty and his strong sense of ethics.

If this man announced his presidential candidacy tomorrow, I would be out pushing for a change in the law allowing a guy his age to serve. And when he graduates law school in two years, there will be no stopping him.

District 89 will be incredibly well served by my friend, my brother, David Holt.

UPDATE: A photo has been added at the request of Tom Guleff. It's a little out of date, and perhaps the first campaign promise for him to deliver on is getting me an updated photo like he said he would this weekend.

I think we'll all agree that he would do better if we just used a photo of his lovely wife.

Never Too Early to Start the 2008 Race Baiting, Huh?

The Memphis Flyer brought us this article from Roll Call yesterday about opposition to Steve Cohen forming up for 2008. The most striking thing about it--- Most of the old familiar faces are back, and they're still not any more creative than they were during last year's primary.

Ron Redwing claims that that several black community, business and religious leaders had reached out to him about the 2008 race and that he is "keeping his options open." Why they would do this--- No one has any idea. His 2006 campaign consisted of telling voters "Pick me or the white guy gets the seat".

Ed Stanton is back in. No word yet on whether or not's "Throw the Jew Down the Well" will be his campaign theme again.

Julian Bolton, who insisted that Steve Cohen was trying to join the Congressional Black Caucus not because he represents a majority black district, but so he can "send money to Israel", plans on taking the lackluster leadership he brought to the county commission to the House of Representatives.

Nikki Tinker's old traditions die hard. The woman who ran for over a year but thought "I'm not prepared to talk about the issues at this time" was an acceptable answer for most of the campaign has no official comment for The Hill. However, LaSimba Gray says she's running, and Ramona Oliver from Emily's List (Who sent out a slanderous piece of campaign literature on Tinker's behalf last year) has said that Tinker told them she's running again. All bloggers should brace themselves for yet another round of semiliterate rants from the Tinker Trolls.

***UPDATE*** 2006 Republican congressional candidate Tom Guleff has a great take on Tinker that should be seen by all. Click here to read it.

And dear god, Jake Ford has said he's running again. No word yet on whether or not he has the guts to run a primary this time. Word through the grapevine is that Harold Ford Sr. considers Nikki Tinker to be the official "Ford Party" candidate, so it's unclear who will tie Jake's shoes next year.

Ironically, the only people that aren't talking about running again are the candidates that behaved honorably last year. Joe Ford Jr., who endorsed the Democratic nominee after the primary, will not be running again. Tyson Pratcher announced that he will be endorsing Cohen. Lee Harris, who ran one of the most honorable campaigns I've ever seen, isn't even mentioned in the article.

Oh Happy Day!

The House just approved a bill tying withdrawal from Iraq (Provided that the Iraqi government doesn't meet benchmarks) by September 2008 to a bill funding the war.

216 Democrats and 2 Republicans voted for it. 198 Republicans and 14 Democrats voted against it. Two Democrats and one Republican abstained.

This bill is about something the White House hates--- Accountability. It tells the Iraqi government that we will not coddle them forever. In fact, it won't even meet the goal of this White House, which is coddling them just long enough to make it the next president's problem.

The bill has an uphill battle. It will most likely be revised in the Senate, and the president is threatening a veto. However, he can't veto this one without vetoing war funding.

Even a Cat In Heat Hits the Right Note Once In a While

One of my exes used to live in the Dakota. She used to tell tales about what an unbearable neighbor this woman was.

And if you've not heard her singing voice--- How can it be described? Think of Geddy Lee from Rush. Now imagine the sound he might make as he gets his testicles waxed. You're just about there.

But in at least one aspect of her life, Yoko Ono deserves praise.

She has waived all royalties for an album of cover songs of her late husband's music called Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur. (Hat tip to Sharon Cobb)

The basic $19.98 CD has 20 John Lennon covers, including the title track by U2, Working Class Hero by Green Day (a video is also expected), Mother by Christina Aguilera, Power to the People by the Black Eyed Peas, Love by The Cure, Jealous Guy by Yousou N'Dour, Imagine by Willie Nelson and Real Love by Regina Spektor. Tunes by Big & Rich and Jack Johnson also are due.
Half the 40 tracks will be available overseas or as bonuses on CD tailored for online and big-box retailers. Give Peace a Chance is interpreted by Aerosmith with Sierra Leone's Refugee All-Stars and by a Japanese ensemble in the vein of We Are the World. All will be sold as individual downloads. Artists donated recordings and Ono waived publishing rights to Lennon's catalog. - USA TODAY

Sounds like a great lineup, but they should definitely include Keb Mo's version of "Imagine". I realize he's not the big name that some of the others are, but come on, there's got to be something to say for musical merit.

Campfield = Plagiarizing Hack

WHEREAS, Stacy Campfield passed this drivel off as his own work,

WHEREAS, Roger Abramson's sharp eye points us to the original source of Campfield's "creativity",

WHEREAS, the brilliant and lovely Brittney Gilbert brought it to our attention,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE that Representative Stacey Campfield is recognized as the blight on the 18th district that he is.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Tennessee strongly condemns plagiarizing hacks.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State of Tennessee recognizes the word "Campfield" to be used as a verb, meaning "to screw up incessantly due to sheer nuttery and/or a lack of intelligence", with alternate definition "to pass someone else's work off as your own".

Edwards Is Still In.

Elizabeth Edwards has been diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. I looked up the survival rates, and they're not incredibly good. There's roughly a 20% chance she'll still be with us in five years.

But John is still in the race. You've got to know that's her doing-- She wouldn't want to be the reason a president that can serve the public good is derailed.

It's hard not to salute these two. The ultimate troopers.

Lady O - Political Heavyweight

After having missed much of the last three weeks due to illness, State Senator Ophelia Ford has come roaring back with a piece of legislation that will enrich the lives of all of her fortunate constituents---

A resolution honoring Justin Timberlake.

Sad to note that on the list of his accomplishments, she left off "Dick In a Box".

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we hereby honor and commend Mr. Justin Timberlake on his highly successful music career and for his meritorious service to the State of Tennessee and extend to him our best wishes for every future success.

Read the full resolution here.

Hat tip to Kleinheider

The Timberlake Resolution, sponsored by District 29's Lady O, was on the consent calendar--- Meaning it would be automatically approved unless someone objected to it.

Well, someone has, so it comes up for a roll call vote tomorrow.

Personally, I've had a change of heart. I can support this bill---Just as soon as they add the "Dick In a Box" amendment.

Again, hat tip to Kleinheider

UPDATE- The "This is Huge!!!" Edition

Vibinc has done us the honor of writing the "Dick In a Box" Amendment.

It is resolved by the Members of the House, Senate and recognized by the citizens of the great state of Tennessee, that the following steps outline a path to greatness.

Step 1. Cut a hole in the box
Step 2. Put your junk in that box
Step 3. Make her open the Box.
That's the way ya do it
It's my dick in a box!

These steps are a testimony to the ingenuity, creativity, and can do attitude of our citizens, and truly captures the spirit of Christmas.

Zach Wamp and the Lewis Amendment

It's really not too much to ask, is it?

Would we send a policeman out to patrol the streets with inadequate training and no bulletproof vest?

Absolutely not. The very idea is ludicrous. The patrolman would end up dead and on the front page of the newspaper for days, and his grieving widow would be the lead story on every newscast for days, wondering why the government was so sloppy that it led to her husband's death.

Would we send a firefighter into an inferno without a fireproof coat and an oxygen mask? That's absolutely insane.

So why is it that Jerry Lewis thinks that a law restricting the use of ill-equipped and improperly trained troops in a war zone is a horrible idea?

Furthermore, why does Tennessee's own Zach Wamp go along with it? Does he wish to endanger American soldiers? Or does he simply lack the testicular fortitude to stand against the Republicans on Appropriations that voted unanimously to endanger American soldiers?

Wamp recently said "Failure is not an option" regarding Iraq. Is a fresh stack of bodies his definition of "success"?

What's next? Shall we modify all military uniforms to put a bullseye on the chest?

You Cannot Do This to the English Language.

Courtesy of Blue Collar Republican, I saw this email sent out by TeamGOP. Gentlemen, ladies, proofreading is not just one of a number of options, but a terrific idea.

But beyond their efforts to rage at the "establish", there's something else going on.

Shirley Ward is facing criminal charges for having voted in the wrong district. A criminal act, to be sure--- You'll never catch me saying otherwise.

But if she's facing charges for voting out of district, then why did Sir Isaac Ford not face the same charges?

The Few. The Proud. The Oh Dear God...

The military ain't what it used to be.

Recruiters are desperate. They're granting record numbers of "moral waivers" to felons, placing automatic weapons in the hands of people that can't buy a handgun at home. As mauch as 20% of last year's recruiting class was there on some form of waiver.

Aryan Nation graffiti has been appearing in Iraq for months, and the military is resisting all external pressure to enforce its own "zero tolerance" policy for screening out members with known racist organization ties.

There's even been gang graffiti spraypainted onto military building and equipment, and gang members are picking up weapons in Iraq and sending them home.

There have been several well known recruiting scandals. Recruiters have been caught encouraging potential enlistees to create fake high school diplomas and teaching them how to cheat on drug tests.

"Integrity. Honor. Respect." Indeed.

Now, what would you think we would get in return for relaxing standards? There are 43 brigades in the United States military. Of the twenty brigades not currently serving in Iraq, how many are actually combat ready?

The answer is ONE. And that unit is not located in the United States, but permanently deployed to South Korea. If a new crisis arose, our only options would be to take brigades out of Iraq, or send the brigade that comprises Kim Jong Il's sole reason for not marching south.

The party that promises a strong military had unchecked power for six long years. Is this what they had in mind? A military so absurdly overburdened that we are incapable of a swift response? How long will it take to rebuild a strong military?

Our Sympathies

We now interrupt this regularly scheduled snark to offer our heartfelt sympathies to the family of Bishop G.E. Patterson and all the members of Church of God In Christ on the death of Bishop Patterson yesterday afternoon.

The Iraq War Anniversary Vigil

The light from over seventy candles lit the Midtown sky Monday night as members of the Memphis chapter of MoveOn came together at the intersection of Union and McLean to mark the fourth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq.

"We're here as persons of conscience to note that this is the fourth anniversary of an enormous wrongdoing," said vigil organizer John Madsen. "There have not been just the 3,200 or more American GIs killed, there have been, at a minimum, fifty to sixty thousand Iraqis killed. We're not making progress. It's time to admit that a mistake was a mistake and end the bloodshed."

Madsen's comments echo those of the American public. A recent Newsweek poll showed that 69% of the American public disapproves of the Bush administration's handling of Iraq, and that only 29% of the public believe we're making any progress in Iraq.

The antiwar movement has grown up, forever shattering popular media notions of what a protest looks like. The drug-fueled "hippie" in a tie-dyed shirt has been replaced by the professional that would be welcomed in any home. The passersby honking their horns in agreement made more noise than the vigil's participants. The boisterous "hell no we won't go" chants of yesteryear were replaced by somber, earnest prayers from the clergy on hand.

"May He who makes peace in the heavens bring peace to all the earth," an older man prayed in Hebrew before translating for the crowd in attendance.

Vigil organizers hope that Monday's event will be the beginning of a more unified antiwar movement. Last year's anniversary vigils were put together by different organizers across the city, and only one managed to draw more than a handful of people.

"One of the things I'd like to see is more coordination between the various subgroups of the community," said Madsen, former owner of the Dylan Blue shop in Midtown. "There seems to be, unfortunately, amongst liberals, a tendency to cluster into smaller groups. I hope that this will emerge as part of a larger coalition."

Monday night's event was one of two anniversary-themed demonstrations in Memphis this year, following on the heels of Mid-South Peace and Justice's 350-strong march through Downtown. Nationally, it was one of the 1,194 vigils organized by MoveOn's three million members.

What You Need, You Don't Get. What You Get Ain't Worth...

When the media was taken on a tour of Walter Reed Hospital after it received a fresh coat of paint in an effort to whitewash the whole scandal away, Lt. General Kevin Kiley explained to the media "We needed to do a better job on some of those rooms, and those of you that got in today saw that we frankly have fixed all of those problems. They weren't serious, and there weren't a lot of them."

Of course, while the reporters were waiting in the lobby, people were walking around in Hazmat suits. On the "signs of a major problem" scale, I would place "people are wearing Hazmat suits" quite high.

Circumstances never really merited the wearing of hazmat suits on the battlefield in Iraq. But once inside the hallowed halls of Walter Reed, they're apparently a good idea.



Now I'm reading about the VIP suites at Walter Reed. I wouldn't say they're quite up to the level of a four star hotel, but I certainly have a tough time believing that the residents of these rooms were expected to breathe in mold and mouse droppings. Infections die in such rooms--- Not cockroaches lying belly up on the floor.

It is simply an outrage that a general can recover from hemorrhoids in a place like this while a wounded soldier recovers in a room where the wallpaper collapses under the weight of the mold.

President Bush routinely brags of visiting the wounded at Walter Reed, as though stopping by to say hi absolves him of any blame in sending them there. Did he not visit the soldiers in Building 18?

It's hard not to think of the utterly forgettable movie Article 99. Its characters have a motto that they often repeat in the halls of a VA hospital: "What you need, you don't get. What you get ain't worth shit."

Really, if our soldiers are to be used as a political shield ("You just don't support the troops"), can we not get them better treatment than this?

Four Years

The Iraq War turns four today. And I'll be damned if it's not acting its age.

A four-year-old child has no capacity for long term planning. Once it decides on a goal, it can be distracted by something shiny lying on the ground.

A four-year-old child has no problem with walking into someone else's house and making a mess. Why would it? It will walk among the filth for years before cleaning it up.

A four-year-old has no concept of time. You can say "six days, six weeks, I doubt six months" to a four-year-old, and it's all the same. It never questions why a problem that was supposed to be taken care of so briefly is still ongoing four years later. All time runs together.

A four-year-old has no concept of death. It walks through life knowing that people who were once there no longer are, but never really stops to consider why.

A four-year-old has limited problem solving capacity. It has yet to figure out that trying something that didn't work means you should try something different the next time.

A four-year-old is an expensive creature. Whether it's a doctor's appointment, clothes that it has outgrown, or a carpet that needs replacing, there is always some expense incurred by a four-year-old. Only a foolish parent doesn't incorporate those expenses into the family budget.

A four-year-old child wanders through its existence with no sense of direction. One day it wants to be president. The next day, it wants to be a fighter pilot. But don't ask it to plan for something that may be a year down the road. Whatever the circumstances, it has no exit strategy.

But if you think four-year-olds leave a path of destruction... Just wait until they turn five.

This Is What $206 Million Looks Like...

I saw this article in the LA Times about a Mexican meth bust today. Authorities raided a meth dealer in one of Mexico City's most upscale neighborhoods and 4,500 pounds of genuine American Benjamins.

America's drug habit is a pricy one. This article got me thinking about other expensive things. For example, this amount of money, massive though it may be, would only pay for about eighteen hours of the war in Iraq. We've spent $410 billion there so far. Divide that by 1460, and you realize we're spending $280 million there in every 24 hour period.

The $206 million could have provided exactly 10,000 four year scholarships to state universities. The amount we've spent in Iraq could have funded just under twenty million scholarships.

The $206 million could have funded 3600 additional schoolteachers for a year. The Iraq war could have funded seven million additional schoolteachers for a year.

The $206 million could have provided health insurance for 123,000 children for a year. The Iraq war could have funded health insurance for 245 million children for one year.

The United States government spends a lot of money on a lot of stupid things. But left to our own devices, so do we. If this much money can be found by busting one meth ring, then how much are we throwing away annually to put poison into our own veins?

How Kind!

I talk about it an awful lot when the Bush White House screws up. So it's only fair that I mention it the few times they actually get something right.

They're really much more considerate than I gave them credit for. As they were planning the politically motivated dismissal of all US attorneys that didn't want to launch partisan investigations designed to throw the 2006 midterms in the Republican Party's favor, they knew that their defenders would proclaim "Clinton did it too!" It's what they always do. It's knee jerk at this point. Apparently, they've decided that the best way to defend the conduct of this White House is to compare it to the White House they've hated most in all of history.

But the Bush team are honest crooks, and actually launched a proactive defense of the Clinton administration.

This was in the email dump they just issued. It's a communication between DOJ Chief of Staff Kyle Sampson and Harriet Miers dated 1/9/06:

In recent memory, during the Reagan and Clinton administrations, Presidents Reagan and Clinton did not [Emphasis in the original email] seek to remove and replace U.S. Attorneys they had appointed whose four-year terms had expired, but instead permitted such U.S. Attorneys to serve indefinitely.

See? How nice of them to undercut their own talking points like that.

(Hat tip to Ana Marie Cox)

Rove and the Push Poll

This is the moment that I lost all respect for John McCain. See, if you look closely, you'll notice that George W. Bush has all of his teeth, and he's not lying on the ground in a daze.

See, that's the natural response of a man whose family was dragged into the epicenter of a political tactic so nasty that it made the antics of Richard Nixon look downright saintly by comparison.

In 2000, the Republican primary looked like it was going to be a close one. Bush took Iowa. McCain took New Hampshire.

And then, they reached South Carolina--- A state that had, by that point, flown the Confederate flag over all state buildings for nearly four decades. The state's stance on race relations had been clear since its inception--- An anti-slavery clause was removed from the Declaration of Independence by a delegate from South Carolina who insisted that his state, North Carolina, and Georgia would fight on behalf of King George if the new government infringed on their right to own and exploit others for economic gain. The state seems to be shameless about racism--- To this day, a statue of Benjamin "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman stands on the grounds of the state capitol, a monument to a long dead governor who boasted of taking part in the Hamburg Massacre and proudly told delegates at a state constitutional convention "We have done our level best [to prevent blacks from voting]...we have scratched our heads to find out how we could eliminate the last one of them. We stuffed ballot boxes. We shot them. We are not ashamed of it."

The idea that a race baiting push poll could gain traction in the state was far from a foreign concept. Richard Hand, a professor at South Carolina's Bob Jones University (Most famous for being one of the last schools in America to break the color barrier, and with a rule against interracial dating that was still in effect at the time) had spread a vicious email rumor that McCain had fathered a child out of wedlock.

The push poll, while there's no evidence indicating that it was coordinated, seemed custom designed to build on Hand's rumor-mongering. Not only was McCain the father of an out of wedlock child, but--- Gasp! She was black! The question was always a variation on "Are you less likely to vote for John McCain because of his out of wedlock black daughter?"

The child in question did exist. But not quite as they said. The McCains had adopted a baby girl out of Bangladesh. Her skin was just dark enough to make "half black, half McCain" plausible. When Cindy McCain found her, the baby's cleft pallate was so severely deformed that she couldn't eat. She was mere weeks from a slow, agonizing starvation death when the McCains adopted her and brought her to the United States for a series of life-saving surgeries. And as any proud father running for the presidency would, he took this beautiful little girl with him when he made campaign stops across the count