Comment Archives: stories: News: Woods
Re: “Conservatives want judges to sing for their supper and submit to contested elections — but will that pimp out the bench?”
Judicial elections kill. At least 25 miners in West Virginia, to be exact. (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-19/g…)
Before April of 2010, big-coal juggernaut Massey Energy persistently refused to comply with federal mine safety regulations, as well as state and local laws. (http://www.businessinsider.com/massey-ener…)
Don Blankenship, Massey's head honcho, paid $3 million to turn his buddy Brent Benjamin into Mr. Justice Brent Benjamin, West Virginia Supreme Court. Justice Benjamin then helped decide a case overturning a $50 million jury verdict against Massey. Not a bad day at the office, if you ask me. (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=new…)
But the U.S. Supreme Court didn't quite see it that way, and reversed the W.Va Supremes, saying Justice Benjamin's connections Mr. Blankenship could jeopardize his appearance of impartiality, and that, in turn, required recusal by Justice Benjamin. (http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2008/2…)
Knowing that you've purchased the protection of your state's highest court gives one a certain measure of chutzpah in determining whether to comply with laws that court may one day determine if you broke. The only way you get to know that is if the judges can be bought and sold in judicial elections. And that, at least in part, is why 25 families lost a loved one last year in the Upper Branch Massey mine disaster.
Or, according to someone who should know: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/opinion/…
Despite all the policy reasons why judicial elections are horrible in mind, Tennessee's Constitution says what it says. The only getting around it is to jump through bunch of semantic hoops, which we've been doing for a few decades nowe, or else just amend the damned thing.
The current horde in the legislature probably isn't too keen on amending stuff, though. Unless it's the Constitutional right under the 14th Amendment to be a citizen of the U.S. if you're born here. That we can do away with.
Re: “Conservatives want judges to sing for their supper and submit to contested elections — but will that pimp out the bench?”
We continue to conflate election finance corruption with popular elections. Is money really free speech? Because free speech certainly isn't money.
Re: “Want new jobs, Gov. Haslam? Then prepare to swallow a hard-right agenda”
tpaine, if government is not the solution why are these social conservatives using the government to promote their Christian Right agenda? Why does Christianity need the support of government to thrive? Is it really that weak on its own?
Re: “Want new jobs, Gov. Haslam? Then prepare to swallow a hard-right agenda”
Well, hurray!! FINALLY, and governor and a legislature that understand GOVERNMENT IS THE PROBLEM NOT THE SOLUTION. As an out-of-state businessman, I can tell you my next store will be in Tennessee.
Re: “Phil Bredesen looks back in the twilight of his governorship”
The Tennessee Teachers have been put in a no-win situation. We can't control what happens after school that affects the students performance in the classroom. RTT funds won't solve the problems. More parental involvement is needed.
Re: “Disgusted Tennessee Democrats say killing the state party could actually make it stronger”
Here are some helpful hints for the Democrat Party from your friendly local conservative:
1. Don't spend money you don't have. Certainly don't sell debt to the the Red Chinese in order to fund illegal immigrant amnesty. It's our country, not theirs.
2. Instead of looking for votes in every dark, dirty corner, push an agenda that speaks to the majority. That's what democracy is: rule of the majority. I know it pains you to care what white men think, but we are people too. Don't we deserve some of your boundless compassion?
3. Realize this is a capitalist economy. We plan, we create, we build, we sell. Here you work for what you want. We deserve to reap the benefits of our hard work. We're not interested in excuses from lazy crybabies.
4. Do not underestimate your constituency. They may not know exactly why you stink, but they can smell you.
Re: “Disgusted Tennessee Democrats say killing the state party could actually make it stronger”
The Democratic base has repeatedly been given every reason to just stay home. They are doing just that. We must quit trying to "out-republican" the opposition and return to Democratic values of improving society by helping the people who need it, (ie working poor, students, middle class, oppressed minorities, etc.) While politics is becoming all about funding, appealing to the wealthy, who by the way already have a Party of support, has proven faulty. We must trust in the facts that it is still "one man, one vote" and do the right thing instead what seems on the surface to be the "safe" thing. Worst case, we lose doing what's right instead of lose while selling out our principle. At best we see a resurgence of populist, southern Democrats.
Re: “Disgusted Tennessee Democrats say killing the state party could actually make it stronger”
The Dude has subrogated his judgement to FOX news.
Re: “Disgusted Tennessee Democrats say killing the state party could actually make it stronger”
The problem isn't complicated. The Democrats have become the party that incites class and racial warfare, the party that views tax increases as the solution to every problem, the party that is vehemently anti-business (and thus anti-jobs) and the party that will stop at nothing to buy votes. The average Tennessean is starting to wise up.
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
The typical lib response: when you have no substantive response, simply apply pejoratives to your opposition.
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
And don't be distracted by Andrew Breitbart's little masquerade at "Big Journalism"
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
Dana Loesch has a timely column at Big Journalism entitled Media wants a brawl between libertarians and Christian conservatives. Don't be distracted by leftist chatter. Stay focused on defeating the leftist agenda of Big Government controlled by a few Ruling Elite, sapping individual liberty through confiscatory taxes.
http://bigjournalism.com/dloesch/2010/12/0…
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
Kwikrnu: that's a pretty one dimensional claim. Is it really that simple?
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
Haslam wanted to send a message that gun legislation would not be addressed. He did that by lobbying for a speaker who is anti-gun.
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Libertarians believe in small government, low taxes and getting the government out of peoples' lives? Social issues are all about legislating peoples lives. Steve Gill can do both conservatives and libertarians a favor and refrain from "eating our own" until the socialist left has been so soundly defeated, they will never rise again.
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
Oh boy, classic old-school v new-school "conservatism," now with extra misogyny. Should be excellent viewing for the next two years!
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
Hmmmm, I'm not a "conservative" but Beth Harwell is?!?!?! And I have never, ever "tong" lashed anybody.
Re: “Conservatives have their knives out for Beth Harwell, and she hasn't even been elected speaker”
I see Steve Gill is striking out again. He couldn't get Harwell to come on his show for his tong lashing, so he is now doing it in the press. I wish the rest of Nashville media would ignore him and cover actual news. There are plenty of actual conservatives to interview.
By the way, I wish you would quit calling Gill a Conservative. He has morphed into a libertarian, a civil libertarian like Dr. Dickerson. Next he will be joining the ACLU.
Re: “Disgruntled Tennessee Democrats mull over a change in leadership”
David Briley's disdain for Chip is worth about a
bucket of spit to most involved. Cheek's is a
bit different. It's the caliber of who steps
forward to challenge Chip is where the selection
and chips will fall!
Re: “Tennessee's outmoded lethal-injection process has accomplished what activists couldn't: effectively stopping the death penalty”
Perhaps they should consider substituting a dose of lead for the chemical cocktail.