Priest Lake summit featuring Jim Gotto, Robert Duvall, Duane Dominy and Jim Hodge

Priest Lake Pastry and Politics presents

Special Guest

Jim Gotto

Speaking on The Budget, Educational Reform and other issues facing the State Legislature

Representative Gotto is a freshman legislator just elected this past November, taking a house seat long occupied by a Democrat.  Jim is serving on the House Judiciary Committee and the House State & Local Government Committee. Jim also serves in the Metro Council representing Council District 12.

Followed by a panel discussion on  

THE HOTTEST TOPIC IN THE COUNTY: TN STATE FAIRGROUNDS

featuring 
Council members Jim Gotto (District 12), Robert Duvall (District 33), Duane Dominy (District 28) and Jim Hodge (District 30)

Robert Duvall

Duane Dominy

Jim Hodge

Gotto, Duvall, Dominy and Hodge are four of the conservative members of the Metro Council who have consistently stood firm for fiscal responsibility, private property rights and responsive government. They have been leaders of the effort to save the fairgrounds.

Fellowship, Pastry and Coffee 8:30 AM, meeting 9:00 AM

Priest Lake Pastry and Politics

Meets at

The Spirit of Life Church

 3646 Murfreesboro Pike
Antioch, TN

(map)

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West Nashville Summit featuring Michael Craddock and Kathleen Starnes

Rise and Shine

for the

West Nashville Eggs and Bacon Summit

with Special Guest

 Michael Craddock

speaking on his candidacy for Mayor, The State Fairgrounds, and important Issues facing Metro Government.

Michael is a two-term council member representing the 4th Councilmanic District. He has been a proponent of fiscal responsibility, private property rights and responsive government. He is expected to soon officially announce his candidacy for mayor.

Followed by 

Kathleen Starnes, Chairman of the Davidson County Republican Party

Speaking on "Inside the Republican Party" or "Everything you always wanted to know about the Republican Party were too embarrassed to ask."

History of the DCRP ~ Recent growth and success of the Party ~ Who governs the DCRP ~ Who makes up the Executive Committee ~ Who makes up the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee ~ How one gets elected to the DCRP ~ How one gets elected to the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee ~ Is one required to be a big contributor to qualify to serve on the TRP EC~ How does one get to be a delegate to the National Republican Party ~ What does it cost to become a delegate to the National Republican Party ~ Reflections on the 5th Congressional District race ~ Controversy and Conflicts in the Party ~ the upcoming Caucus ~ the upcoming Convention.  

This is your chance to learn and to ask the hard questions

Meeting at 

Shoney's

365 White Bridge Pike, Nashville

Saturday, February 19th

Fellowship, Dutch Treat Breakfast 8:30 AM, meeting 9:00 AM

Moderator: Matt Nemeth

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I JOIN FAMILY ACTION OF TENNESSEE IN OPPOSING THIS ORDINANCE:

The following is from Family Action Council. Please help defeat this bill. Rod

  

Metro Council for Nashville and Davidson County is set to vote this coming Tuesday, February 15th on an ordinance that would impose homosexual and gender identity (e.g. cross-dressing) personnel policies on businesses. If you don't live in Davidson County, this ordinance still affects you, so please keep reading.

 

Right now, if we don't begin to speak up, it appears they have the votes to pass it on second reading!  This ordinance, bad on a number of levels, needs to be defeated on second reading. We cannot risk what might happen on the third and final vote in two weeks. 

 

We have been working hard behind the scenes with business groups who are opposed, but so far they are not willing, as a group, to risk the ire of either politicians or the homosexual community.  

The bottom line is that a lot of folks are scared to be opposed to this for fear it will hurt their businesses.  Only a courageous few have stood up publicly.  So it looks like "we the people," the everyday people, will have to speak up. 

This issue raised by Metro's ordinance is not just about government approval of homosexual conduct or gender-related conduct.  Whatever one thinks about this issue, the fact is that the ordinance will impose additional requirements on businesses that will impede business growth, job creation, and intrastate commerce.  Businesses from around the state that want to bid on contracts being let by Metro for goods and services will have to choose between the economic opportunity these bid opportunities represent and controlling their own personnel policies.  These government-imposed personnel policies create a number of issues for businesses that can drive up their costs of doing business, costs that, in this case, will be passed on to taxpayers.  And to the extent that some businesses decide not to bid because of the increased regulation, the decrease in competition will also result in higher prices that will be passed on to taxpayers.  Our economy simply can't endure more government intrusion.  For more information about how Metro's ordinance will affect business and taxpayers, click here.

Please take a minute to email your Council member, or all of them if you can take the time, with this simple message:  "Please vote no on Ordinance BL2011-838."  Email addresses are listed below or if you want to email them through the City Council website, you can go to this link.

Thank you,

David Fowler, Esq.
President
Family Action of Tennessee, Inc.

Tim.garrett@nashville.gov                  Mike.jameson@nashville.gov

Megan.barry@nashville.gov               Erik.cole@nashville.gov

Charlie.tygard@nashville.gov             Karen.bennett@nashville.gov

Ronnie.steine@nashville.gov              Jim.forkum@nashville.gov

Jerry.maynard@nashville.gov                Rip.ryman@nashville.gov

Lonnell.matthews@nashville.gov        Darren.jernigan@nashville.gov

Frank.harrison@nashville.gov              Jim.gotto@nashville.gov

Walter.hunt@nashville.gov                 Carl.burch@nashville.gov

Michael.craddock@nashville.gov        Bruce.stanley@nashville.gov

Jamie.hollin@nashville.gov                 Phil.claiborne@nashville.gov

Anna.page@nashville.gov                  Sandra.moore@nashville.gov

Kristine.LaLonde@nashville.gov         Erica.gilmore@nashville.gov

Buddy.baker@nashville.gov               edith.langster@nashville.gov

Erick.crafton@nashville.gov                emily.evans@nashville.gov

Jason.holleman@nashville.gov          Sean.McGuire@nashville.gov

Greg.adkins@nashville.gov                randy.foster@nashville.gov

Duane.dominy@nashville.gov            vivian.wilhoite@nashville.gov

Jim.hodge@nashville.gov                   Parker.toler@nashville.gov

Sam.coleman@nashville.gov              Robert.duvall@nashville.gov

Carter.todd@nashville.gov                  bo.mitchell@nashville.gov

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ACT NOW! Curbing Teacher's Union Influence and Power

 I received this email today from Ken Marrero. This is an extremely important issue and I have been planning to post on this issue myself but time got away. I want to help get this message out as soon as possible so I am reposted this email from Ken. Ken Marrero is a local and national Tea Party leader and blogs at Blue Collar Muse. I value his opinion and trust his analysis. I agree with the content of this email.

Please, Please act now. Please make a phone call or email. If you can go, please show up on Wednesday.  I must work or I would be there myself. This is a great opportunity to effect real education reform by curtailing the destructive power of TEA and their affiliates. Rod

Folks,

I often send things to you FYI, For Your Information. Rarely do I ask that you do something other than what you might be motivated within yourself to do. This is one of those rare times. Please read the following and make sure this information finds its way into the inboxes, cell phones and feed readers of your readers and members. It is both critically important and time sensitive.

In the Senate, Jack Johnson is running SB113 this Wednesday. This is the Senate version of Debra Maggart's HB130 which takes away the TEA Union's ability to address issues such as salary, workplace conditions and more via collective bargaining. While such an ability may seem rather innocent and unimportant, it is anything but.

THE PROBLEM:

The ability to engage in collective bargaining for such things is a powerful advantage over the taxpayer in whose name the TEA is supposed to be acting. Just how much power is made more clear when one notes that no other state in the SouthEast has collective bargaining for its teachers. Only Tennessee. Further, in Tennessee, no other public union - regardless of how important it is to the public welfare - has the right to collective bargaining. Not even police officers and fire fighters.

Collective bargaining is about what is best for teachers. It is not about what is best for the children or about improving education. We should never forget that the TEA's purpose is to promote the cause of teachers. Full stop. Anything beyond that is gravy. And, as the NEA itself points out, is only done because they get paid for it.

Eliminating collective bargaining for the TEA is supported by the top business leaders from all across the state. Not, as the union would likely have you believe, because Big Business is in the pocket of the political Right. Unsurprisingly, they support it because, unlike the TEA, business in Tennessee has a direct and vested interest in having a well educated workforce. Since we all know what Tennessee's rankings are in education despite decades of increased spending and meeting union demands, perhaps it's time to question whether or not Tennessee is getting enough bang for its bucks. If Big Business is questioning the product the TEA and Public Schools are producing, perhaps there's a problem with production and not the end user.

Finally, the day to day, cumulative impact of collective bargaining being allowed into the schools produces the following results. Not that all of them are present at all times and everywhere. But these are things that are typically found where collective bargaining is present:

· require teacher pay be based on years of experience and level of education, not on performance

· make it virtually impossible to dismiss teachers for poor performance and/or misconduct 

· require principals to give advance notice to teachers before visiting classrooms to evaluate performance    

· limit the number of conferences and other forums in which teachers meet with parents

· give unions access to school mailboxes, bulletin boards, classrooms, and other facilities to use for their own purposes

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:

Between now and Wednesday morning at 10AM Central:

Call these two members of the Senate Education Committee and let them know you want collective bargaining for teachers to end.

Sen. Rusty Crowe (Johnson City/Elizabethtn)-615-741-2468 sen.rusty.crowe@capitol.tn.gov

Sen. Jamie Woodson (Knoxville) - 615-741-1648 -sen.jamie.woodson@capitol.tn.gov

The vote on Jack Johnson's bill in the Senate is going to be close. These two GOP Senators are seen as a little squishy and are the weak links in the chain of votes needed to get the bill out of Committee and to the floor for a vote. If the bill is let out of Committee, it will pass in the full Senate and the House. But if it dies in the Senate Committee, it will be dead - period. It is imperative that we get this bill out of Committee for a vote by the entire Senate.

Then, call (best option) or email your State Senator to let him know you want collective bargaining for the TEA to end.

Send this notice to all your mailing lists and get the people who look to you for information and encouragement fired up to do the same. It is a fact of politics that elected officials are influenced by direct contact from voters with opinions on legislation. The TEA has access to every teacher in the entire state and is burning up their email and phones with requests that collective bargaining be protected. We need to get calls and emails going the other way and we need to do it in the next two days. The Senate needs to know that Tennesseans support improving our education system and educating our kids as opposed to further entrenching unions and their one size fits all approach.

Come to the State Capitol on Wednesday, February 16th to attend the Senate Education Committee Meeting. The meeting starts at 10am, but I suggest showing up when the building opens around 8am. The TEA has put out the call to its supporters and they will be there. We need the Committee to see that there are everyday Tennesseans who will support them if they vote to curb the power of a special interest.

This is a hugely important step for restoring both both fiscal and policy responsibility to our state and as we move forward with making Tennessee strong and sound. Please take the time to address this issue with your readers and members. Thank you ..

Ken Marrero
Blue Collar Muse - http://bluecollarmuse.com

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HAPPY SAINT VALENTINE'S DAY!

in honor of Saint Valentine who's February 14th feast day

has been celebrated since 496A.D ....

 

Saint Augustine

Better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all.

 

Saint Paul

Love is patient, love is kind.   It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.  It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.   It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.   

 

William Gladstone

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace.  

 

  Blaise Pascal

The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.

   

 

Gilda Radner

If love is the answer, could someone repeat the question?

John Lennon & Paul McCartney

There's nothing you can do that can't be done.  

Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. 

Nothing you can say, but you can learn how to play the game. 

It’s easy:  all you need is love.                                      

 

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

 

Mother Theresa

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go. 

 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

All thoughts, all passions, all delights      

Whatever stirs this mortal frame 

All are but ministers of Love      

And feed His sacred flame.    

 

Mahatma Gandhi

Where there is love there is life.    

 

Victor Hugo

The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved -- loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.   

 

Jesus Christ

And now abideth faith, hope and love.  These three.  But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)

 

'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "And a second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." ( Matthew 22:37-40)

 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ( John 13:34-35)

Reposted from and email from Bob Schwartz

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How Obamacare destroys the Rule of Law

I have several concerns about Obamacare. One is creeping nationalization. Healthcare accounts for 17% of the US economy. Obamacare appears designed to gradually destroy private health care and force more and more people to turn to the government for health care. Nationalization is contrary to the concept of a free people. I think we should be looking for ways to privatize services government already provides rather than nationalize services provided by the private sector.

Another concern, is that Obamacare will bankrupt our country; we just can't afford it. With the National Debt standing at $14.1 trillion dollars and entitlements and interest on the debt making up the bulk of annual government expenditures, we cannot afford another entitlement. The US holds a debt to GDP ratio of 94%! This is not sustainable. We are like a household that is living our lifestyle by financing it on credit cards and we keep getting an increase in the credit limit or get a new credit card every time we approach maxing out a credit card. Adding another entitlement is the last thing we need to be doing.

I am also concerned that government does not do very much very well. I fear the quality of health care will surfer with more government control.

I am concerned about the increase in government power and the unconstitutional nature of Obamacare. I believe our freedom is due primarily to the wisdom found in our constitution which places limits on government authority. If there are no limits on government authority, if the constitution is meaningless, then our freedom is at risk. Surely the Commerce Cause is not so broad that government can force people to purchase a product. If it is, the government can force us to do almost anything.

While all of these are concerns, I am equally deeply concerned about what Obmacare does to the Rule of Law. Rule of Law is not the same as law and order. Rule of Law means that the law is applied equally. Rule of Law means the government does not pick winners and looser.

The book club to which I belong recently selected The Road to Serfdom by Friedrich A. Hayek and I reread this classic. Below are excerpts on the topic of the Rule of Law from that work:

Noting distinguished more clearly conditions in a free country from those in a country under arbitrary government than the observance in the former of the great principles know as the Rule of Law. Stripped of all technicalities, this means that government is all its actions is bound by rules issued and announced beforehand-rules which make it possible to foresee with fair certainty how the authorities will use its coercive powers in given circumstances and to plan ones individual affairs on the basis of this knowledge.

When the government has to decide how many pigs are to be raised or how many buses are to be run, which coal mines are to operate or what prices shoes are to be sold, those decisions cannot be deduced from principle or settled for long periods in advance. They depend inevitable on the circumstances of the monument and making such decision it will always be necessary to balance one against the other the interest of various person and groups.

It does not matter whether we all drive on he left or on the right-side of the road so long as we all do the same. The important thing is that the rule enable us to predict other people's behavior correctly, and this requires that it should apply to all cases-even if in a particular instant we feel it to be unjust.

We have already seen more than 700 waivers to the requirements of ObamaCare exempting those who got the waiver from a provision in the new health care law that bans annual limits on what an insurance company will pay for health care coverage.

This is an outrage! Many of those granted waivers are friends of the administration and campaign contributors, such as the United Federation of Teachers and locals of the SEIU. That is not government by Rule of Law but is autocratic grants to friends. That is not the way things are done in a democracy. That is not the way things are supposed to work in America

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Donelson/Hermitage Summit: Emily Evans and Michael Craddock on the TN State Fairgrounds.

Rise & Shine, Join Your Fellow GOP’ers

Donelson-Hermitage Eggs and Bacon Summit

The meeting will be at

Ryan's Steakhouse

 3435 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage

 Dutch treat Breakfast is at 8:30, meeting at 9AM

 Meeting begins at 9 am (sharp)

THE HOTTEST TOPIC IN THE COUNTY: TN STATE FAIRGROUNDS

Come Hear Prominent Council Members Emily Evans (23) 
and Michael Craddock (4)

Emily Evans

Michael Craddock

Jim Gotto

• What Are The Key Issues In The Debate?
• Why Did Over 1,000 Attend a recent Tuesday Night Council Meeting?
• The Larger Issue: What Should Be The Government’s Role In Economic Development?
• What are the politics of the issue?

Program moderated by Representative (District 60) and Metro Councilman (District 12) Jim Gotto

Steve Glover

Also, Special Guest Steve Glover, former School Board Member and Candidate for Metro Council, District 12.

Event Chairmen – Jer Dunlap

Kathleen Starnes, DCRP Chair

Rod Williams, DCRP Summit Coordinator

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Beavers Panders to Birthers

God bless Mae Beavers. She is a solid conservative. She has a pro-life, small government, pro-2nd amendment, pro-educational reform, and pro-parental rights voting record. Unfortunately, she is now getting silly by pandering to the birthers.

Mae Beavers has introduced a bill that would require that in order to have one’s name placed on the ballot to run for President in Tennessee, one would have to provide the following:

(i) An original long form birth certificate that includes the date and place of birth, the names of the hospital and the attending physician, and signatures of the witnesses in attendance;
(ii) A sworn statement attesting that the candidate has not held dual or multiple citizenship and that the candidate's allegiance is solely to the United States of America; and
(iii) A sworn statement or form that identifies the candidate's places of residence in the United States for the preceding fourteen (14) years.

Maybe Mae Beavers really believe President Obama is an alien and is illegally serving as president. Maybe she really believes this bill is necessary. Or, maybe she has an enthusiastic constituent who worked hard for her election and contributed to her campaign and to whom she promised that if reelected she would sponsor such a bill. I don’t know.

As of now, the bill has no co-sponsor and no companion bill in the house. Hopefully this will die a quite death and Ms Beavers can tell her constituent, “I tried.” If this moves forward, someone needs to amend it to require everyone running for any office to also meet the same requirements. (How do you get a copy of your long-form birth certificate?)

To other Republicans in the House and Senate: Please do not sign on as sponsors of this bill. Please do not introduce a companion bill in the House. Things like this make Republicans look like fringe freaks and right-wing nut jobs. Sponsoring nutty stuff like this is a recipe for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and returning this state to Democratic hands. This is embarrassing.

I am emailing this blog post to Mae Beavers with this message: .

Dear Ms Beavers,

I see that you have introduced bill SB 0366 creating a new requirement for having one's name placed on the ballot to run for President in Tennessee. I urge you to withdraw this bill. In my view, legislation such as this makes Republicans look like right-wing nut-jobs, destroys the sponsors credibility, and helps Democrats.

Could you please explain why you introduced this bill? I am a local blogger and will post your reply in full.

Stay tuned: I will list any House sponsors or co-sponsors or any reply from Mae Beavers.

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"Islam is terror," say critic. My reply.

I recently posted an article on this blog reporting that in Egypt, Muslims citizens attended a Coptic Christian mass to act as human shields to protect Christians from violence from Muslim extremist. In response to that post I got the following response from Tracy Tarum:

Rod, you are a good voice for the Conservative movement for the most part. That said; your reluctance to admit that Islam is terror, and your "picking-and-choosing" of pro-Islam stories is idiotic at best. There are moderate Muslims; however, there is NO SUCH THING as moderate Islam. When you begin to understand that, you'll give up this ridiculous crusade to "prove" Islam as a wonderful religious choice for a certain group of interested Americans. You can throw out all the "Is this from the Bible or the Koran" quotes that you want, but you ignore the OBVIOUS distinction when you do: the "violent" lines from scripture are the Old Testament, which were done away with the coming of Christ as the "New Law;" and that the further in the Koran you go, the more violent it gets (because Muhammad the six-year-old-marrying, rapist, murdering, plundering, thief of a "prophet" gets more and more violent in his actions and demands the later he gets in his life; while Christ comes to erase violence and institute love and self-sacrifice; Muhammad eventually removes love and self-sacrifice and institutes violence, hate, murder, and lies). TELL ME WHERE I'M WRONG!!! I don't want your "Bible vs. Koran" quotes (again, OT progressing to NT vs. peace progressing to violence; chronologically), rather I want you to tell me WHERE I HAVE MISSPOKEN!!"

Thank you Tracy for your response to my recent post and thank you for the complement. I will try my best to respond. 

I also believe you are a good conservative. I am a conservative and as such I believe in fidelity to the constitution, limited and minimally intrusive government, private property, free markets, a strong national defense, balanced budgets, sanctity of life, the rule of law, individualism, reason, and respect for tradition and inherited wisdom.

Often today however, I feel that the conservative movement has been hijacked by bithers, Birchers, conspiracy theorist, angry populist, xenophobes, bigots and assorted fringe nut jobs. I do not identify with a lot of what passes for conservatism, including the anti-Muslim bigotry. When anti-Muslim zealots start attacking a patriot and conservative hero like Grover Norquest, it is time to denounce them. Norquest for almost 30 years has fought tirelessly for the conservative cause. He has been a leader in both the anti-communist and the limited government branch of the conservative movement. It is time real conservatives denounce the radical fringe.

I do not think it is conservative to deny to Muslim the same First amendment rights enjoyed by other Americans. Rights are not grants handed out by the government to favored groups and denied to groups out of favor. That is not a proper understanding of the nature of rights nor respect for the constitution. I am not the same type of conservative as those who would deny Muslims in Murfressboro the right to build a house of worship. You either believe in the constitution or you don't.

I fear that the same kind of fear and bigotry that led to the rounding up and imprisoning of innocent Americans of Japanese ancestry in World War Two is with us today. I will not be surprised when certain conservatives began calling for the rounding up and imprisoning of Muslim Americans.

You are correct in that I do not equate Islam with terror. I agree with President Bush when he said, ‘The terrorists are traitors to their own faith, trying, in effect, to hijack Islam itself. The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends. It is not our many Arab friends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists and every government that supports them.” 

The Muslim faith is the religion of one and a half billion people or about 22% of the world's population. I am not at war with those 1.5 billion people. I do recognize that radical Islam is a threat and I think we must be vigilant in combating radical Islam and defending ourselves. It is worth noting, however, that the greatest number of victims of radical Islam are other Muslims. Many more Muslims are killed by radical Muslim jihadist than westerners and Christians.

If I post stories that reports that Muslims in Egypt rally as human shields to protect Coptic Christians it is to make a point that not all Muslims are the enemy. There are Muslims who are decent people. If I post a pin-up pic of a beautiful bikini-clad Muslim babe who wins the Miss USA crown, it is to show that not all Muslims fit the same mold. Too often the anti-Muslim zealots want to paint all Muslims with the same brush. They portray the whole Muslim world as burqa-clad women and jihadist ready to behead you.

My point in posting, "Know your Bible; Know your Qur'an" is to show that some very terrible things are also written in our holy text and to show that you cannot judge a contemporary institution or a person by what is written in some archaic ancient sacred text. If you do, you would have to denounce Christians and Jews. I don't judge an adherent to Christianity by what is in the Bible. I judge them by how they currently practice or interpret their faith. Thus, I am not concerned that the Bible may follow a path of from advocating more violence to less and that Islam may follow a path of lesser violence to more violence. I think that is insignificant. Most Christians, nor most Muslims I suspect, are religious scholars.

I understand the Christian concept that Christ came to fulfill the law and we are no longer bound by law but by grace, and thus we can discount those Old Testament passages that embarrass and make us uncomfortable. However, those offensive passages are still in our sacred text that we as Christians still hold dear and consider holy. Christians just pick and choose which parts of the Old Testament they will preach and honor and ignore the troublesome portions. Embarrassed by it or not, the Bible does ordain genocide, rape, murder and plunder. You may choose to dismiss it because it is in the Old Testament but what are you going to say to our Jewish brethren who do not accept the New Testament? I am going to judge them by how they act, not the words in some ancient text.

I really do not care what the Qur'an says. I do not judge a contemporary Muslim by some ancient text, no more than I judge a Jew by the words in the Old Testament. To many Christians, Christianity is a cultural identify. They are not theologians. I doubt it is no different with most Muslims. They were born Muslim but are not theologians.

Too often the anti-Muslim activists want us to think of all Muslims as the same and wish to spread hatred of all Muslims. They also often distort the meaning of Islamic teaching. Anyone who cares to know can learn that Jihad also has a spiritual meaning, but if one gets all his opinions from the anti-Muslim zealots one would never learn that.

Islam is not monolithic. There are several branches to each of the two main divisions of Islam and many other minor denominations. There are many different sects within the Muslim faith with a wide range of beliefs. While the sacred text may prescribe certain things, the application in practice varies wildly.

I wonder if the anti-Muslim zealots know about the whirling dervishes of the mystical Sufi branch of Islam. Are those mystics cut from the same cloth as radical jihadist? If it is not so already, I believe that with modernization and assimilation we will see as much diversity of thought and practice within the Muslim faith as we see within the Christian or Buddhist faith.

Not all Islamic countries look like Saudi Arabia, either. Turkey has been a secular democracy since 1923. I visited Turkey a few years ago and the Turks are just not that devout. The Mosques are often empty during the call to prayer. People do not stop their car to pray mid-day. While young girls did dress more modestly than western girls and you did not see bare mid-riffs and plunging necklines, many young Turkish girls dress stylish and wore tight fitting jeans and most did not wear a head scarf. In Turkey they had a Turkish version of MTV. While it was not as vulgar as the American version, it did feature young lovers dancing and looking at each other longingly. Unlike Nashville where I cannot purchase wine in the grocery store, I could do so in Muslim Turkey.

Just as I do not judge all of Christianity by the Spanish inquisition and do not feel compelled to defend the Spanish inquisition, I do not judge all Muslims by Al-Qaida and do not assume all Muslims feel compelled to defend the terrorist acts of 9-11 or feel compelled to defend the 9-11 perpetrators.

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Florida Governor: We are not going to implement Obamacare.

The momentum continues to build to derail Obamacare. Florida's Republican Governor Rick Scott said yesterday that Obamacare may not be implemented in Florida as a legal battle over the law appears headed to the Supreme Court.

"We are not going to spend a lot of time and money with regard to trying to get ready to implement that (law) until we know exactly what is going to happen," Scott told reporters.(link)

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson's ruling that the law is unconstitutional is empowering States to take bold action and announce they have no intention of implementing the unconstitutional law.

Bill Haslam, Won't you please join Governor Scott in announcing you will not implement Obamacare as long as the constitutionality of the the law is in question? 

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Wisconsin will not implement Obamacare; Other states should do likewise.

Today, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said that since a federal judge had struck down Obamacare, Wisconsin would not implement the law. "This means that  for Wisconsin", said Hollen, "the federal health care law is dead." He went on to say Wisconsin"was relieved of any obligations or duties" to carry out the statute. (link)

Tennessee and other states need to follow Winconsins' lead. Momentum is building to repeal Obamacare. We need rachet up the pressure. Also, if more states take the same position as Wisconsin, the Supreme Court may be motivated to expedite consideration of the case.

Unfortunately, Tennessee will probably not follow the lead of Wisconsin. Unfortunately our unelected Democrat Attorney General Robert Cooper, who is accountable to no one, refuses to even join the other 26 states in challenging the law despite being asked to do by the State Legislature.

If there is some legal way to do so, our state legislature should hire an attorney to carry out the will of the people of Tennessee and join the other states seeking to overturn Obamacare. Also, Governor Haslam while campaigning said he supported joining the health-care lawsuit but has said little about the law since getting elected. Bill Haslam needs to show leadership now! Haslam should pressure the Attorney General to join the lawsuit and Haslam should pressure the Attorney General to take a position like that of Wisconsin. If the Attorney General cannot be persuaded, Governor Haslam and the State Legislature should work around the Attorney General and do it anyway. Additionally we should begin the process of changing the way the attorney general is selected. He should be appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate or be popularly elected.

Editorial: ObamaCare Is No Longer A Law

Business Investors Daily, 2/1/2010
Already bruised and unpopular, ObamaCare has now been issued a death sentence. Yet the White House says it will "proceed apace" with its implementation. Has anyone there heard of checks and balances?

The White House plans to appeal Vinson's ruling. But until it asks for a stay and a court grants one, the government should cease and desist from implementing ObamaCare if it's to stay within the bounds of the law. Don't be surprised, though, if it doesn't. (link)

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RUNNING FOR METRO COUNCIL WORKSHOP

RUNNING FOR METRO COUNCIL WORKSHOP

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 5TH, 2011

HAMPTON INN - GREEN HILLS

Free Admission, $15 Box Lunch optional

Moderator: Timothy B. Lee

This is the year to elect Metro Councilmembers. If YOU, or someone you know, is interested in running for Metro Council please join us for some inside information from experienced candidates, office holders and community activists that will provide you with the essentials of how the process works and what you need to know to be a successful candidate. The election is August 5 and the qualifying deadline of May 19 will be here all too soon.

This is a great opportunity to network with folks who can help you win!

8:30-9:00 am: Registration and coffee.

9:00-9:45 am: Panel 1: Doing the job of Council member - a view from the Chamber
Council members: Lonnell Mathews (1), Michael Jameson (6), Eric Crafton (22), Emily Evans (23) &Carter Todd (34)

10:00-10:45 am: Panel 2: Working with Council - from the outside perspective
Joe Hall of Hall Strategies, Doug Collier, President SEIU Local 205,
Catherine McTamaney, East Nashville Resident & activist , Joey
Garrison, reporter of Nashville City Paper

11:00-11:45 am: Panel 3: Major issues for 2011-15 term: What they are and how will we deal with them:
Budget,Councilman at -large Charlie Tygard;
Education, School Board Member Michael Hayes;
Zoning, Councilman at-large Tim Garrett;
Transportation, Chairman of Board of MTA, Thomas J. O'Connell

11:45 Box Lunch from Swetts

12:00-12:30 pm What the Metro Council is NOT!!
Councilman Randy Foster (27)

12:30-1:00pm Wrap up, final questions and where do you go from here.

Please RSVP by Thursday, February 3, to ensure sufficient meals and materials. RSVP by emailing info@DavidsonCountyGOP.org. Payments can be made with check or cash the morning of the event.

We hope to see many of our conservative friends this Saturday at our "Running for Metro Council Workshop".

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