Qualifications To Be Vice President

As many of you know, I ran Mabel for president and then tried to create a variety of political scandals for her as she was clueless to her candidacy, and, well, she eats things she creates.

I thought her character might be attacked, so we let her go back to eating kibble and doing her pub crawl, which she did last night.

But I have to point you to Sparkles Plenty, who has outlined her reasons on why she would make a great vice-president.

Anyway, now that all that has been cleared up, I know that I am supremely qualified to be your Vice President. Here is why I expect your vote in November:

1. I know how to drive a car.
2. I can open jars all by myself.
3. I always never forget to clean out the lint filter on the dryer.
4. My favorite soup is potato.
5. I don’t spit when I talk. Usually.

Mabel endorses Kristina for V.P. enthusiastically.

A Round Of Applause For Russ McBee

Let’s all say Yay for Russ, who has been doing a bang up job of rounding up the hippie liberals for the last few weeks.

Given the large number of blog posts discussing the choice of Biden and the diversity of opinions on the topic, this week’s roundup is devoted exclusively to that subject.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Biden! and Senator O’Biden [Ed. note: The RSS feed for 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera has moved to this link.]

• 55-40 Memphis: It’s official now

• Carole Borges: Joe Biden is perfect! I’m excited once again.

• The Crone Speaks: Obama Says it is Biden, I Say More of the Same

• Don Williams: Obama-Biden’s a brilliant ticket, but only if they win, natch

• Enclave: Wealthy Elite vs. Middle Class: Pick Your Biden Scorecard and Biden His Time: Delaware Senator Brings Commoner Cred to the Ticket

• KnoxViews: Joe Biden

• Lean Left: Hello, Joe! (Whadda ya know?)

• Left Of The Dial: Hey Barack

• Left Wing Cracker: I think it’s going to work..

• Nashville for the 21st Century: Asshatery at Fournier’s “Associated Press”

• Newscoma: Obama Chooses Biden and LA Times Gets Its VP Story Wrong and Breaking Down The Biden Factor

• Russ McBee: A quick thought on Joe Biden

• Sharon Cobb: BREAKING: Obama Picks Joe Biden!

• Silence Isn’t Golden: It’s Definitely Biden

• Southern Beale: So It’s Biden and IOKIYAR: Veepstakes Edition

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Obama Picks a Bro: It’s Biden

• Vibinc: The Veep-Stakes Fiasco [Ed. note: OK, the Vibinc post isn’t a reaction per se, since it was written on Friday, but it’s still relevant. Sue me.]

And finally, Katie Allison Granju blogs on the subject from her new home at KnoxNews.com, “Because I Said So“:

• Because I Said So: Obama didn’t get this one right

Summer Solstice – TennViews Style

It’s back. R. Neal is rocking the house.

The “Summer Solstice” (Copyright (C) Associated Press, All Rights Including Yours Reserved) edition of the weekly unpredictable Tennessee progressive blog roundup with a look at what the best Tennessee bloggers are talking about.

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: with Democrats like these, who needs Republicans?

• 55-40 Memphis: We could achieve more progress in the coming months than in all of the 40 years since Martin died.

• Tiny Cat Pants: I’m sure “We’re still pissed about things that happened before you were born” will make a stirring campaign slogan for the Republicans this fall.

• BlountViews: Swiftboating a local judge candidate

• Carole Borges: Prescription drugs are becoming a menace to society and patients don’t know who to trust anymore

• The Crone Speaks: We all know, that for years, Jeb is being “groomed” to follow in daddy’s footsteps. [..] Corporations, especially the oil companies, want a Bush in office.

• Cup Of Joe Powell: The first rule about Congressional Elections in the 1st District is – You don’t talk about Congressional Elections in the 1st District. Plus: Rep. Davis Dodges Debate

• Don Williams: …this is about electric moon spiders and giant rainbows that wade ocean waters in order to show you the whole round realness of wonder that only a vacation can provide by reminding you of who you were before you became what you do…

• TNDP: Tennessee Young Dems look to capture 5,000, plus TNDP Chairman Gray Sasser: Lamar Alexander is wrong on energy

• Enclave: It would be a shame if the next President was more of an advocate for programs that support Metro Nashville than our own elected representative.

• Fletch: Realization

• KnoxViews (Rocketsquirrel): Currently, oil and gas companies hold leases on nearly 68 million acres of federal land (both onshore and under OCS waters) that they are not developing.

• Lean Left: If the President tells a company it’s legal, it’s legal.

• Left of the Dial: “Staycation” is the new buzzword for the summer of 2008.

• LeftWingCracker: I can see THAT now: LOOK HOW SAFE I’VE MADE SHELBY COUNTY! That’s a winner, bubba, I’d take that and really run with it if I were you. Oy. Next, other than the Baker-Alexander-Thompson tribe, who knows Gibbons outside of Big Shelby? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? I digress.

• Liberadio(!): …tonight’s 500 foot swim, which is scheduled for 5:00pm at Riverfront Park, has already served its purpose – prompting Nashvillians to start chattering about the state of the river and its environs.

• Newscoma: wish just once that Tanner voted the way I wanted him to vote. Cohen just may be the only lifeline that Tennessee has for calling foul on this sort of stuff. This isn’t about warrantless wiretapping. It’s about saving corporations money.

• The Pesky Fly: The real traitor here is Steny Hoyer. And Nancy Pelosi.

• Progressive Nashville: …a brief overview of some of McCain’s 2007 votes on children’s issues…, plus: What does it take to get fired in Memphis?

• Resonance: I was not at all surprised to see Senator McCain flip-flop with yesterday’s announcement that he now opposes the federal moratorium on offshore oil drilling. I expect more politicians to follow this path as public pressure to do something about the energy crisis builds.

• RoaneViews: Here’s a “Predict the Race” spreadsheet for the Ruppe-Yager Senate race.

• Russ McBee: Just like their recent obstruction of the carbon reduction bill, today’s actions show that the GOP have no intention of doing anything meaningful about our most pressing environmental and energy issues.

• Sean Braisted: …I still don’t get the argument by some against immunity. There seem to be two thoughts.

• Sharon Cobb: I can tell you I know first hand Obama has been in and out of Nashville visiting Al Gore during the past year, and Gore advised him, as he did other candidates.

• Silence Isn’t Golden: Everyone’s buzzing about the new Quinnipiac poll numbers that show Obama not only handily winning in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also have him up in Florida.

• Southern Beale: Isn’t that special! The four largest Western oil companies are preparing to sign no-bid contracts in Iraq, bringing them back to a position they had 36 years ago. Is that some long-range planning or what!

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: What with Michelle’s dangerously feminist habit of speaking her mind, or sounding altogether too much like First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, extreme stepford, um, I mean steps are being taken.

• TennViews (Chris Lugo): Abstinence only until marriage curricula is censorship, pure and simple. Any school program that withholds scientifically valid information does not present young people with the full range of options they will actually face in life.

• Vibinc: Ahh, but constituents aren’t good at Change™ either. They want to balance their household budgets while owning the biggest big screen HDTV with 4 picture in pictures and total immersion surround sound. They want rock solid abs after a mere 20 minute workout and to eat that carton of Twinkies in one sitting. It’s a startling contradiction.

• WhitesCreek Journal: A message to Tennessee Democrats, “Get on the Love Train now, cause the good seats are going fast.”

• Women’s Health News: Thoughts on the AMA Homebirth “Ban,” Ricki Lake, and Midwifery

BONUS ROUND: The AP v. blogger dustup – a sampling…

• Enclave: At the Risk of Violating Rexblog’s Fair Use Policy

• « The Crone Speaks: Ass.Press’s Desire to Re-write Fair Use

• Newscoma: Connecting The Dots

• Newscoma: The AP vs. Bloggers

• KnoxViews: AP, bloggers, and the fair use controversy

• Russ McBee : AP follows RIAA and MPAA into the gutter

• The Crone Speaks: Heavy Hand of the AP

DOUBLE BONUS ROUND: The Hobbs (no not that one, the other one) controversy…

• TennViews (WhitesCreek): Fred Hobbs Seems intent on destroying Lincoln Davis Gubernatorial chances

• KnoxViews: Obama connected

• The Pesky Fly: Just Speechless

• Silence Isn’t Golden: What The Hell Is Going On Here?

• LeftWingCracker: Feel Good Friday this is NOT, not today

• Sean Braisted: Benefit of the Doubt

• Sean Braisted: The Wheels On The Bus Go Round and Round

• Silence Isn’t Golden: Here’s How It’s Done

• Sean Braisted: Fred Hobbs Apologizes

• Sean Braisted: Glass Houses

• Sean Braisted: More on the Hobbs/Terrorist-Gate

• Sean Braisted: The Commish Says Fire Hobbs

Memphis Mission

I’m sitting in a hotel room in Memphis pondering unmentionable things (mainly because I just don’t want to mention them). Squirrel Queen and I have been driving around Midtown looking at stuff this morning, checking out the landscape, that sort of thing. I dig Midtown and think it’s just ducky.

First of all, if you guys are not reading Vibinc, then you should be. And you should meet him. And he needs to tell you his version of how Scientology began and then you need to pay him for giving you this lovely gift because it definitely is one of the most wonderful things you will ever hear or see in your life. He will most likely refuse your gift of cash, but he will probably let you buy him a drink.

Or he might take the cash. You never know.

I have decided that Left Wing Cracker is going to be my life coach. He has the job if he wants it. Anytime that I feel sort of insecure and useless, I think he will kick my butt and then when I get all bloated and full of myself, I think he’ll set me straight there too. If damn old Scott Baio can have a life coach, then I want one too. And I’m voting Left Wing. (ha, the pun, the irony.)

So, obviously I got to meet some of my Memphis buddies, made new buddies and even talked to Blinders Off on the phone who has this husky sexy voice that will take your breath away just a little. It’s that kind of voice.

Took care of some business, when business was done, had a beer. You know me, that’s pretty much my daily routine.

And then we talked politics and of course, I was in heaven. And, I’m going to say this for the Memphis crew. They are being very proactive in working with their candidates. I really admire and like that. Of course, I was asked who I was for and I hesitated.

And I still hesitate, but I will say this. The Memphis folks enthusiasm in working for their candidates was just about damned inspiring. Because, you see, everyone I talked to last night was doing something. I dug that.

I felt all smiley and happy last night but I had one of those moments that I can only compare to the Meg Ryan character faking the big “O” in a diner in the movie When Harry Met Sally.

I kinda felt like the lady (who was Rob Reiner’s mom if memory serves me right) saying “I’ll have what she’s having.”

I really need to be around political folks who are actually doing something. I need to be around the enthusiasm more than I am.

My secret mission will be taking me all over the place in the coming weeks.

And if you guessed that I was getting sexual reassignment surgery, you were wrong. Just saying.

The Round-Up

R. Neal is calling it the corn-fed edition:

• 10,000 Monkeys and a Camera: Almost spot on prediction, and The Kids are Alright

• Andy Axel (at TennViews): The latest unbelievable wingnut spin

• BlountViews: Respect for Dodd and Biden

• The Crone Speaks: Electability over issues, and Voter turnout is the big story

• Enclave: The Obama Edwards dilemma

• Fletch: The Gaussian candidate

• KnoxViews: Down to the wire, and Knoxville News Sentinel has a sense of humor

• Lean Left: Caucus thoughts: A mess for the GOP, a remarkable win for Obama, and The “Not Clinton” problem

• Left of the Dial: Sick babies and loose meat sandwiches

• Left Wing Cracker: So much for Iowa being a Republican state

• NewsComa: Going against the grain, and Bold predictions for the aftermath

• Pesky Fly: Interpreting the tongues, and Fear of success

• Progress Nashville: Status quo: 0, Change: 1, and The young and the restless, plus Two miracles

• Russ McBee: Thoughts on Edwards, bonus: Quote of the day

• Sean Braisted: The awesome power of hope, and The defeat of absolutism

• Sharon Cobb: Iowa votes for change, plus Cause and Kucinich/Nader effect?

• Silence Isn’t Golden: Post Iowa scenarios

• Tennessee Guerilla Women: Only fools are dancing on Hillary’s grave and a Hillary provides baby sitters for caucus goers, right wing whines

• TennViews: Results and observations, and More questions than answers?

• Vibinc (a new addition to the Tennessee liberal blogroll): Snakes on a campaign, and About last night, and Live Blogging the Iowa Caucuses from Drinking Liberally Memphis, bonus: Hilarious predictions

• Whites Creek Journal: What happened

There you go, campers!

Lou Grant

Thirty years ago, I watched “Lou Grant.”

I was 12-years-old.

I’m shocked it’s been that long. Now, I’m going to get all syrupy about “Lou Grant” but I loved that show.  Ed Asner made the transition from comedy after getting “fired” on the “Mary Tyler Moore Show” and took Lou to a new setting. I’m sure that wasn’t the easiest transition but it worked.

I loved the fieriness of the show and how journalism made a difference in the television world. As a tween (I didn’t even know what that word meant in 1977), it looked like, to me at least, that hard work and dedication could make a difference. As a pre-teen, I was enamoured. I was a child of Watergate, Deep Throat, my parents’ memories of the assassinations of the Kennedys, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and a loveable grandfather who fought in WWII and who knew he did the right thing. I was too young for the assassinations, but I remember my parents perception of them. For my mother, these things were never far from her mind.

So “Lou Grant” spoke to me. For reasons I probably didn’t understand then, but that I do now. 

Anti-press fulminations from the Nixon administration were largely nullified by scandals and disgrace in the White House. It was only later that an anti-media crusade took hold, drawing battle lines between the press and government, and breeding suspicion among much of the citizenry.

It was later, as well, that newspapers were obliged to adapt to emerging, unimagined challenges: new media platforms, “citizen journalists” and information-dispersing gadgets with global reach that anyone could buy.

The Trib reporters were spared these distractions and identity crises. For them, news still took the form of ink on paper, preferably with comics, horoscope and crossword puzzle part of the deal.

The zeitgeist of “Lou Grant” was set forth in the clever opening titles. The cycle began with a twittering bird up in a tree about to be felled and processed into newsprint. By the end of the sequence, the published Tribune has reached its destination a typical reader and, then fully read, is slid into a cage to catch the droppings of a twittering pet bird. A newspaper was a cozy, closed system, and “Lou Grant” celebrated it.

Reporters made a difference in the world of my youth. I saw that as a kid. Now that I’m older and more cynical, I still can remember feeling that I wanted to be a part of something bigger. Of course, life isn’t fair, but on “Lou Grant” there was a sense of fairness that I felt like I could be a part of. In my own way, I’m thinking maybe I’ve done a thing here or there that was important or at least it was to me.
Yeah, I’m a liberal softie. I know that. And “Lou Grant” was part of it.

Happy anniverary Lou, and thanks.

On Saturday’s Meeting About Upcoming Elections

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

Margaret Mead

In meeting with some folks on Saturday about progressive politics and next year’s upcoming election, I was taken with a couple of things. First of all, we had a lot to say to each other on a personal level. I also agree with Aunt B. when she says we needed a round table. The conversation drifted. And that was alright because we hadn’t seen each other in a few months, B. had just had surgery and she only has a flesh wound. We checked it out. It’s rather saucy.

There were a few things that had whirled through my mind after we met up after Mack asked me what the number one issue was in our minds. Several people answered but I didn’t. I had to think about this because I think many Americans vote on One Issue. Think about the solidarity of the Republican Party right now although I think it is a fragmented because they don’t have a uber strong candidate running for president is well, but this is, of course, the time of infighting in both partisan camps as the clamoring continues to be the presidential nominee next summer.

Back to the One Issue, it may have tendrils but it usually is back to the “one mind think of the issue that is the most important to me” for the voter, some folks vote about family, about national security, women’s rights, immigration, evangelical leadership, gay rights, denying gay rights and the list goes on.

I don’t think it comes down to one thing, per se, as a collective whole. But, it’s the word of mouth that gets people talking about one issue. People in northwest Tennessee are not talking about immigration or gay rights or urban development so much, they are talking about abortion and Christian Leadership and the viability of rural economic industrial recruitment. Lots of Blue Dog Democrats here, that will vote blue but want it with a conservative center. (I know, I know.)

Personally, I’m a Steve Cohen girl in what I dig in my politics, but then again, I hear a lot of chit-chat about others. I’m figuring I’m a minority around here in the ‘ville when it comes to mad Cohen love.

Who are folks talking about around here, you ask? Ron Paul, Bill Richardson and some John Edwards. Hillary, not so much and Barack Obama, very little. But this is just in the world I live in.

And every political election, no matter where the office is, a local election. The issues of rural voting trends are going to be different than urban voting trends. Ask Harold Ford Jr. this question and I’m sure he could fill you in about how rural America sealed his last campaign for senate (and his own folks in Memphis, who are very tired of the Ford dynasty).

Back to a small group of people, I got busy when I got home from Nashville yesterday and found a few places to go but I think the Republicans are a bit more organized right now online as I said last week and I think this is crucial. Their message is on task. We, as democrats, have has such a weird, disconcerting seven years that we have so many issues we want addressed. But we are getting there.

Their were seven of us on Saturday. Southern Beale, Mack, Aunt. B, Chris Wage, Lesley, Squirrel Queen and myself. The meeting stemmed from another cancelled meeting of progressive politics on Saturday but we decided to meet anyway because it needed to be done or at least we felt it did.

It takes a small group of people. That’s how grassroots movements are born and evolve. You meet because it needs to be done.

So, we talked about the issues that are bothering us. We talked about political blogs. And we need to do it again. And then again.

And next time, there will be nine of us, and then later on, 15. And other groups are getting together.

And we will not agree on everything, but we will agree on that we want a voice in a country that has tried to stifle voices and create static where the words of others have had trouble being heard.

But we found each other online. And, that’s something because we heard over the noise.

And this pleases me.