Christine O'Donnell likes Hillary Clinton for President in 2012

What?? This is from the I-ain't-believing-this Department.

On ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, Christine O'Donnell threw her support to an unexpected - and seemingly uninterested - potential 2012 presidential candidate: Hillary Clinton.
"I hope she runs for President," O'Donnell told ABC's George Stephanopoulos, adding that she would even consider becoming a Democrat in order to have the opportunity to vote for her.(link)

Cristy O'Donnell who was the darling of the Tea Party crowd, Cristy O'Donnell of the "I am not a witch" commercial, Cristy O'Donnell who lacked credentials to be elected, is really a RINO. (I think that is the first time I have ever said someone was a RINO.)

As Mark Rogers said about this on his Facebook post, "So the Wicked not-a-witch of Delaware would consider switching parties and voting for Hillary Clinton for President. All of you apologists for that dim bulb need to beat yourselves with whips and make other acts of penitence. That she got so many votes suggests there isn't much 'aware' in Delaware."

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The unemployment rate is up! It is time to cut the minimum wage.

The unemployment rate edged up to 9.8 percent in November. It went up,  not down. Things are not getting better. These unemployment numbers are not acceptable and Congress needs to take bold action to put people back to work. Instead of taking action to put people back to work however, the Democrats keep trying to raise taxes. Implementing record tax hikes as unemployment rises is just dumb. To stop the unemployment rate from rising higher, Congress should extend all of the Bush era tax cuts for starters. The second thing Congress needs to do it cut the minimum wage.

The Federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, which for a forty-hour work week is $290, about the same as a week of unemployment benefit. Critics will argue that one cannot support a family on $290 a week, and that is true.  However if one is on unemployment benefits one cannot support a family on $290 a week either. As Congress debates extending unemployment beyond the current 99 weeks of benefits, it should consider any extension tied to a reduction in the minimum wage.

There are people who could be put to work at $5.25 an hour who cannot be put to work at $7.25 an hour. At a lower wage rate, an employer may be willing to invest in training of a low-skilled worker whereas they may not be able to afford to do so at a higher rate of pay.  An employer considering outsourcing jobs overseas may not have to so if he could hire people to do the same work at less than $7.25 an hour  here in America. An employer considering reducing labor cost by automating jobs, may choose to not invest in labor-saving technology if labor rates were lower. An employer faced with the choice of laying off some workers or keeping everyone employed but cutting wages, is limited in cutting wages when the lowest wage possible is $7.25.

A low wage does not have to be the maximum one ever earns, but a low wage is often the first rung on the latter. A minimum wage of $7.25 makes that first rung out of reach for many people. Not everyone who works for minimum wage is supporting a family on that wage. Many families have two wage earners. A second wage earner earning a modest minimum wage, may keep a family from losing their home.  Many of the people who work for minimum wage are young adults still living at home. Working for less than $7.25 is better than not working at all.

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A move is afoot to close the primaries in Tennessee!

A move is afoot to close the primaries in Tennessee and I wholeheartedly support this move.

I admit that I have often voted in the Democratic Primary, usually the Davidson County primary but sometimes the State primary as well. Most of the time, there is not even a Davidson County Republican County primary and if one wants a voice in who holds the Courthouse seats, one has to vote in the Democratic Primary. When I have voted in the Democratic Primary, I have usually voted for the most conservative Democrat. I suspect there are some closet Republicans holding office as Democrats in Nashville. 

The effect of Republicans like myself voting in the Democratic primary is that by doing so we fail to build a Republican Party. Davidson County is a one-party town and unless primaries are closed it is likely to stay a one-party town. In much of East Tennessee the situation is reversed and many Democrats vote in Republican primaries. Also, if one Party's campaign is already pretty much a sure thing and the outcome can easily be predicted, members of that party are tempted to vote in the primary of the opposition Party where there is a real contest.

Republicans should not be allowed to choose the Democratic Party's nominee and Democrats should not be allowed to choose the Republican nominee. Moderates and independents will not like this move but anyone who believes the Parties should represent a set of clear values and present the public a clear choice should support it. 


Below is the facebook announcement of this move and a copy of the proposed resolution. Mark Winslow is a member of the Republican Party State Executive Committee. 

If you are a Republican and support the idea of closed primaries please contact your member of the State Executive Committee and urge them to support this resolution.

Standing Up for Tennessee Republicans

by Mark Winslow on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 6:24am

On Saturday our Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee will meet in Nashville. At the meeting, a group of us will present the following resolution adopting the official position that our state should move to a system of registration by party and should structure our primaries so the political parties cannot interfere in other parties' primary elections and county party organization. Republicans deserve the opportunity to conduct our primaries free of influence from others and with the belief that we are selecting candidates who truly believe in the principles of limited conservative government. This is merely a long overdue first step and the final decision rests with the legislature and the new governor. But Republicans should know that their representatives at the Tennessee Republican Party are looking out for their best interests.


WHEREAS Tennesseans, on November 2, 2010, clearly and resoundingly affirmed their desire that conservative values are the guiding principles they wish to determine the future direction of our state.

WHEREAS the vote on November 2 completed a sixteen year transformation of Republicans to majority status in Tennessee.

WHEREAS the clearly voiced positions of Tennessee Republicans in favor of sound fiscal practices, respect for the value of human life, defense of our Second Amendment rights and opposition to a state income tax are the view of the majority of Tennesseans.

WHEREAS Tennessee law now permits participation in Republican primaries by those who do not act in the best interest of our party and the Republicans we represent.

WHEREAS the diminished status of the Democrat Party in Tennessee has lead to increased instances of coordinated crossover voting in Republican primaries with intent to influence Republican elections.

WHEREAS the bylaws of the Tennessee Republican Party are vague on the ability of non-Republicans to participate and influence the election of county party officers and committees.

WHEREAS a growing majority status for Republicans has resulted in increased participation and influence over county Republican conventions and caucuses by non-Republicans.

WHEREAS legislation to require voter registration in Tennessee has been proposed for the past three sessions of the General Assembly without moving to a vote of the full House and Senate.

WHEREAS it is the responsibility of the State Executive Committee to protect and promote participation in county party elections and Republican primaries by those who believe in the principles of the Republican Party.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by The State Executive Committee of the Tennessee Republican Party, in our capacity as the Republican State Primary Board, that we hereby adopt the official position that Tennessee should move to a system of registration by party.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Executive Committee adopts the position that participation in state primary elections, federal primary elections and county organization should be limited to those registering to vote in the party of their choice.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the State Executive Committee directs the Chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party to convey adoption of this position to the Governor of Tennessee, The Leadership of the Tennessee House of Representatives and the Leadership of the Tennessee Senate by transmitting a copy of this resolution to all Legislators Elected as Republicans serving in the 107th General Assembly as well as Governor Haslam. We further direct the Chairman to work with the Office of the Governor and the Legislature to promote this important matter and ensure its passage into law.

For other views:
Pick a Team @ Kay Brooks
TN GOP SEC to be Presented with Plan to Close Primaries@ Blue Collar Muse
TN GOP SEC to Consider Closed Primaries by Brian Hornback @ Brian’s Blog
They are Open if You’re Republican or Democrat by Stacy Campfield @ Camp4U

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Right the wrong and redraw the districts!

by guest blogger J. Lee Douglas

It's been a good harvest and now we need to get the grain to the threshing floor.

Ten years ago in 2001, Jimmy Naifeh and seventy-eight power-hungry democrats agreed to redraw Tennessee's nine US congressional districts into serpentine patterns that grouped conservative-leaning neighborhoods into one single district that would give conservatives such as Marsha Blackburn an almost 95% voter selection. Among conservatives, she could almost not lose because the bulk of conservatives were strategically placed in her district. Sucks, eh? Get mad!!

The net effect for the democrats was that the remaining areas would contain conservatives who would be the minority and never able to have a fair chance to choose someone who might represent their views. An example of this thievery is Jim Cooper's district which consists mostly of Davidson County which was drawn in a way to almost guarantee his election regardless of his obedience to Madame Pelosi.

Look below at the Tennessee congressional map and notice Marsha Blackburn's (teal) district #7 how it runs from outside of Memphis, pinches off where Williamson and Hickman counties touch and then all the way to the Kentucky border in middle Tennessee north of Clarksville! Is that reasonable division of the populous? Mad yet?

This was done for the simple reason that these geographic areas are largely conservative and doing the districting this way creates an imbalance that gives a material edge to people such as Cooper or Lincoln Davis. The math becomes that we get one, they get two, three or four!

The irony? You are disenfranchised and the dems accuse you of their crime and the Tennessean carries their story. Get this, the dems who controlled all houses of the state were so happy with their divisions of congressional districts that from 1902 for sixty years they refused to reapportion the districts and finally relinquished when the US Supreme Court ordered reapportionment in 1962. Let's now act to have this injustice righted. Let's also lobby all of our representatives to NOT do to them what they did to us. We'll reap what we sow. Trust me, justice will prevail.

With the 2010 census now being complete, the new republican legislative body has a chance to right this wrong and to insure that conservative, fair policies and block redrawing of the districts takes place January 11, at the beginning of the next legislative session.

J. Lee Douglas is a practicing dentist in Brentwood Tennessee. He is married, father of four and grandfather of five. He established a Christian dental/medical clinic in Iraq in 1996 and had done oil and gas exploration in West Africa and lived for several years in Switzerland.  He is a local political activist and a Middle Tennessee leader in the TEA party movement and helped start the 9-12 Project Tennessee within 3 months of President Obama’s taking office. Prior to that time he had not been involved in political activity.

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Why Republicans won in Tennessee

by guest commentator Mark Rogers

Tuesday’s election results mark the culmination of a gradual shift in political power in Tennessee that began around 1970.  The traditional Democratic Party coalition of urban residents, union members and rural ‘yellow dog’ voters which had withstood 20 years of Republican Governors, a series of popular Republican senators and other challenges seemed to virtually collapse in the face of surging voter anger.

To appreciate the extent of Tuesday’s defeat, it is important to remember that in Tennessee power comes mostly out of the state legislature not the Governor’s Office or from Washington.  Starting in the early 1970s Speakers of the House Ned McWherter and Jimmy Naifeh along with Lt. Governor John Wilder consolidated power in the two chambers of the Legislature in an unprecedented manner.  McWherter and Naifeh both served far longer than any other Speakers of the House while Wilder’s 36 years as Speaker of the Senate and Lt. Governor set a national record.  

By consolidating legislative power in their hands, McWherter, Naifeh and Wilder created a power base that allowed them to control the levers of power despite Republican successes at winning the Governor’s Office.  That, in turn, gave the Democrats access to the vast majority of financial support from lobbyists, which provided the critical resources to continue winning elections.  Control in Nashville also enabled the Democratic machine to use redistricting to prevent Republicans from gaining more seats in the Legislature despite the growing number of Republican voters in the state.

The combination of demographics and a growing disconnect between Tennessee Democrats and the far more liberal national party were always factors in Republican success in congressional and senate elections.  By the early 2000s, the stress on the Tennessee Democrats in state elections was begging to show.   Middle Tennessee, always a Democratic bastion in state races, was trending heavily Republican.  Not just Williamson County but Rutherford, Wilson, Sumner, Maury, Montgomery and other counties all began sending Republicans to Nashville.  Redistricting was no longer able to hide the power of Republican growth. 

The election of Governor Bredesen in 2002 and Ron Ramsey’s accession to the position of Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate in 2006 were major blows to the Democratic power structure.  

Bredesen became Governor on the heels of four years of bitter fighting within both parties over the income tax.  The Democrats suffered a number of legislative losses and Speaker Naifeh’s position in the caucus was hurt by his advocacy of the income tax.  Republican gains in the state senate and the growing frailty of Lt. Governor Wilder reduced the strength of the Democratic control of the senate, for years a less partisan body anyway. 

A strong Democratic Governor with limitless funding was able to take more power from the Democratic legislative leadership than a previous Governor would have.  Some of this was simple exhaustion after the bitter income tax years and some was resentment of the Speakers for ever supporting an income tax.  The result was several years where Governor Bredesen was able to mostly dominate the Legislature. 

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey’s success in 2006 in capturing control of the Senate marked a crucial moment in Tennessee history.  A Republican Senate meant that lobbyists who traditionally only supported Democratic candidates now had to support both sides.  That meant better funded Republicans and less money for Democrats, very damaging to the Democrats since they lacked the ability to raise money from wealthy donors that had been the Republican alternative to lobbyist funds.  

In 2008 the nomination of Barak Obama finally broke Democratic control of the House.  From the Democratic Presidential primary where Clinton crushed Obama by 3 to 1, 4 to 1, 5 to 1 and even greater percentages, it was clear that traditional Democratic voters were unexcited by an Obama candidacy.  In November Republicans netted 4 seats in the House giving them a 50 – 49 margin for the first time since Reconstruction.  Not surprisingly Republican victories correlated with those counties where Clinton handily defeated Obama.  While the Kent Williams flip thwarted true Republican control of the House, the 2008 results were an ominous sign that rural and suburban Democrats had finally broken with the changes in the national party.

Tuesday’s election returns were more than a defeat for Tennessee Democrats.  Incumbents thought to be safe were washed away in a tide unlike anything in Tennessee history.  Open seats previously held by Democrats in areas like Nashville flipped.  A college professor who spent less than $2,000 beat Doug Jackson, a long-serving Senator.  Three congressional seats, all previously considered safe, went Republican.  And, most important for redistricting next year, 13 seats in the state House went Republican. 

Before election day many Democrats were resigned to losing 3 or 4 seats or more.  Republicans projecting more than 6 or 7 wins were seen as overly optimistic.  Journalists who know Tennessee politics intimately were projecting few wins.  

So, what happened?

Factors in the Republican wave include:

• The Haslam Factor.  From the start, there was an inevitability to the Haslam campaign that sucked any optimism out of the Democrats regarding the Governor’s race.  Haslam perfectly fits into the Howard Baker / Lamar Alexander / Bill Frist / Bob Corker model that has demolished Democrats in election after election.  Add the unlimited fundraising power of his family and the effect was to deter any conventional opponent.  As Haslam’s strength grew across the state and across voter groups, the chance of a strong Democratic turnout that would save down-ticket candidates vanished. 

• The McWherter Factor.  From the first, I contended McWherter was the one candidate who could rally the Democrats alienated by the leftward trend in the national party.  Unlike Jim Kyle, who represented the liberal wing of Tennessee Democrats, McWherter’s name might reignite the traditional loyalty of those Democrats who abandoned the party in 2008.  As McWherter’s campaign flailed around with attacks on Haslam’s ties to Iran, that ray of hope went out.

•  The National Factor.  Many of the Democrats losses on Tuesday came in areas dominated by ‘yellow dog’ Democrats.  These are voters who inherit their Democratic voting along with their other genetic traits.  These voters tend to live in counties that are socially and economically conservative but Democratic by birth.  A quick look at past elections will show that for all their conservatism, these counties voted for Mondale over Reagan, Kerry over Bush, Cooper over Thompson and so on.  That these voters not only elected a Republican Congressman but also finally elected Republicans at the state level suggests that the traditional link to the Democratic party has been broken.  

• The Issue Factor.  Despite the fact that traditional Democrats are usually reliable votes for the conservative position on social or values issues, the position of the national party on abortion, guns, gays and other topics may finally have driven voters into Republican arms.  

• The Fear Factor.  Parts of Tennessee have been suffering economically for several years before the crash of 2007 -2008.  Rural areas that relied on low-skill industries have been particularly battered by the relocation of plants abroad.  As rural Democratic legislators have lost power, there has been less largess funneled to those areas.  With the national economy lagging, the Republican alternative may be less scary than the Democrats.

• The Republicans did it Right Factor.  Republican leadership in the House and Senate deserves credit for some excellent candidate recruiting and fundraising.  Recent state party chairs Robin Smith and Chris Devaney also deserve credit for their management of the party and their work in recruiting and fundraising.  Congressional Republicans including Senators Alexander and Corker worked hard for their state counterparts. 
 

• The Civil War Factor.  The conflict between the left and center of the Democratic Party has been a serious problem at a time when the Democrats had little margin for error.  The efforts of the TEA to derail Race to the Top legislation, the fight over the job of party chair and a variety of other conflicts hurt Democratic efforts to unite behind candidates and wasted scarce resources. 

With redistricting coming up and no barrier to Republicans drawing lines that will favor them, it seems that the best the Democrats can hope for is holding their House seats although that may be difficult as Republicans target close races like three in Nashville.  The Senate offers Republicans the opportunity to gain two or three more seats.  The Democrats also face a serious problem in that their bench is weak.  Their two Congressmen are not serious threats for statewide office.  Their House and Senate Leadership is older and not likely to consider uphill congressional races.  And the financial support of those lobbyists who once served at their beck and call will now flow to the Republicans who dominate the Hill. 

Mark Rogers is a long-time Republican activist and commentator.  His experiences range from campaign strategy to policy development to speech writing.

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$45 billion wasted later, Al Gore admits that ethanol was a mistake.

Better late than never, Al.

Al Gore admits that ethanol was a mistake. Wow! You mean just because diverting food to fuel causes worldwide hunger and starvation, and the production of all that extra corn was bad for the environment and created a large dead spot in the Gulf of Mexico, and just because if takes almost as much energy to create a unit of ethanol energy as the amount of energy produced that it may not be a good idea? Well, Al I could have told you that. I could have told you that before we wasted 45 billion dollars subsidizing the ethanol industry. Anyway, I am glad you saw the light.

Also, Al they say confession is good for the soul and I appreciate that you confessed that your support of ethanol was motivated by buying the votes of farmers in Tennessee where you were Senator and buying votes in Iowa where you were running for President.


Al, I am sure this confession will not hurt you with your fans. After all what is a wasted $45 billion and a bunch of people people starved to death? You were making people feel good about "doing something."  You were promoting "green" alternatives. Feeling good about doing something is what is really important, right? Your fans will still love you.

While you are at it Al, are there any other mistakes you would like to confess? You didn’t embellish and exaggerate the threat of global warming just to win a Nobel Peace Prize or become a movie star did you? You didn’t engage in fear mongering and sensationalism just to make a point did you? If so, now would be a good time to say so. Just asking.

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Higher Taxes Won't Reduce the Deficit

An article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal explains why higher taxes will not reduce the deficit. The draft proposal of the President's Commission on the Deficit calls for various tax increases along with spending cuts to produce a balanced budget and to began the process of reducing the deficit. If the deficit is not reduced, simply paying interest on the debt will eat up a greater and greater share of tax revenues and the GDP. We are headed the way of Greece. Almost everyone agrees we must do something.

However, raising taxes may be worse than doing nothing. Raising taxes will likely make the deficit worse; not better. History has shown time and time again that every time taxes are raised so is spending and borrowing.

The article says that, "the only era in modern times that the budget has been in balance was in the late 1990s, when Republicans were in control of Congress. Taxes were not raised, and the capital gains tax rate was cut in 1997. The growth rate of federal spending was dramatically reduced from 1995-99, and the economy roared."

We need to cut spending and grow the economy. To grow the economy we need to cut taxes, especially the capital gains taxes and the corporate income tax.  Raising taxes curtails economic growth and feeds the beast. Raising taxes should be a nonstarter for Republicans.

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Report from the West Nashville Summit with Sheriff Daron Hall

From Matt Nemeth
Saturday, November 20th

Hello All,

Thank you to those in attendance this morning to hear Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall speak about immigration. Today was very informative and provided great clarity as to how Nashville uses 287(g) as a tool to combat illegal immigration. 287(g) is designed to provide relief to Federal officials looking to detain illegal immigrants by allowing local law enforcement the opportunity to question anyone arrested about their residency status.

According to the Sheriff, 287(g) has been very effective. Less than 1% of illegals found in Nashville appear in any other part of the country. This means that the job that our elected officials are doing is resulting in either the proper jailing or deportation of those in this country unlawfully. It would be difficult to find another city in this nation with such a track record.

Let's continue to stand behind Sheriff Hall who openly decided to use (even against the will of critics) 287(g) to the benefit and safety of Tennesseans. He was sworn to protect the citizens of Davidson County and it is clear that he will use any legal means necessary to do so.

Any other city in this great country should be as honored as we are to have someone like Sheriff Hall watching over them.

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Matt Nemeth

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Murfressboro Mosque Circus makes The Economist.

The Murfressboro Mosque story has made the news all over the world including the prestigious Economist magazine. The Economist article offers no special insight but presents a factual summary of events.

This trial has brought publicity to Murfressboro and Tennessee that we did not need. It has tarnished the image of Tennessee almost equal to the Scopes monkey trial. The only thing that could have made it worse is if the judge in the case had not followed the rule of law and had ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

I am sure that many others observers share the view of one reader who left this comment on the Economist website:

Ahh Tennessee, birthplace of the Ku Klux Klan, what a welcoming and inclusive club of reasonable, well-intentioned people. I sure am glad that the international community can look upon America and see our greatness and the strength of our democracy at work in Tennessee. Bravo Tennessee, keep representing the best America has to offer, I'll be sure to wave hello as I pass over this backwater flyover state.

The plaintiffs are threatening to appeal the case. On what grounds, I don't know. This has already cost Rutherford County over $50,000 and probably much more in damage to the good name of Rutherford County, Murfressboro, and Tennessee. This is not going to help with MTSU student recruitment or business recruitment. If I were the CEO of a large firm looking to relocate my corporate headquarters, I would probably mark  Murfressboro and maybe Tennessee off my list. I hope this circus does not have a return engagement.

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chancellor sticks to law, First Amendment applies to Murfreesboro and mosque must can be built

Judge denies request to stop work on Murfreesboro mosque
By Stephen George, City Paper, Wednesday, November 17, 2010 at 3:53pm

After a trial that stretched more than two months and devolved into what many spectators called a circus that garnered international attention and ridicule, Rutherford County Chancellor Robert Corlew denied plaintiffs' request for a temporary injunction Wednesday afternoon.(link)

Comment: Thank God this circus is over and thank God we still have freedom of religion in America.

If chancellor sticks to law, Murfreesboro mosque must be built
by Gail Kerr, The Tennessean, November 17, 2010

Now it's up to Rutherford County Chancellor Robert Corlew III.

Will this end up being one of his finest hours, ruling that a Murfreesboro mosque can be built — whether he personally likes it or not — because it legally met all local planning and building criteria?
.........
If he is an impartial member of the judiciary who follows the rule of law, instead of a rogue judge who makes it up as he goes, then the mosque will get built. You may disagree with that. If you think judges should be activists who reinterpret the law as they see fit, based on the political winds of the day, you'll love it if the judge rules against the mosque. (link)

Comment: Amen. I agree and could not have said it better. I am glad this circus is leaving town. I just hope the Judge rules for the rule of law. I am embarrassed an appalled that there are so many local "conservatives" opposing property rights, opposing the Constitutional First Amendment  right to Freedom of Religion, advocating big government and judicial activism. I am not that kind of conservative.

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Is that a bomb in your pants or are you glad to see me?

Ever since 9-11 flying has been no fun. I remember the good old days, when you did not have to arrive an hour or two early, when your loved ones could walk you to the departure gate and be there at the gate to greet you when you returned, when there were no baggage searches or removing of your shoes or pat downs and you could carry your toothpaste, shampoo, aftershave, a pint of bourbon and a Swiss army knife.

Now, The Transportation Security Agency has rolled out new rules that require full-body scans, which can see through your clothes and leave nothing to the imagination. They can detect nipples and pubic hair and tell if a man is circumcised or not. If one does not want to be seen virtually nude by strangers one can instead opt for the body search. The new body search will not be a gentle pat down using the back of the hand but a real search with groping of the breast and the groin. There will be a good ole squeeze to see if what is there is all that should be there.

Now, I am not that modest of a guy. I am not going to mortified if someone sees me naked. And, if it was an attractive women doing the search I might even opt for the search instead of the scan, but I think it will be men groping men and women groping women. I will put up with the indignity of the nude scan because I really am not bothered by my own nudity and if some guy gropes my groin I am not going to freak out.

Many people are however going to be uncomfortable with this. I would bet that nude pics of celebrities will find their way to the Internet. With people being human and technology the way it is, I just do not believe all those nude pictures will be kept secure.

Will this make us more secure? Probably. Is it worth it? That is a judgment call. One should not just assume that because it will make us more secure, that it is worth it. There is a trade off between security and safety, and convenience. As individuals and as a society we have to decide the proper balance. Sometimes the trade off is not worth it.

I remember when the interstate speed limit, in an effort to save gas, was reduced to 55 miles per hour. I didn't like it. I could not drive 55. People objected and the government argued that the lower speed saved X number of lives. The number of lives saved by driving the slower speed limit was simply not worth it as far as I was concerned. Some people find that statement abhorrent but in reality we all accept a certain number of deaths for our own convenience.

You often hear people say about expenditures for safety or inconveniences for safety, "if it saves just one live it is worth it." I don't think anyone really believe that. It sounds nice, but people don't really believe it. Driving 55 saved lives. Driving 35 would have saved even more. Drive 5 MPH and we could end all highway deaths. What is the magic number at which the additional saved life is not worth it. For me it was 74MPH.

The new security measures will probably make us safer. It we all had full body cavity checks and all flew naked, and could take no baggage with us we would be safer still. Like I said, I am not going to be that bothered by these new regulations but there are still some modest people in this country who are going to be very offended. This is much like the speed limit. The higher level of security may not be worth the cost.

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Conservative candidates needed to run for Metro Council.

In Metro's 40-member Council there are about 10 "good" council members. One of them, Jim Gotto, got elected to higher office and his seat is an open seat. Some of the good ones, like Robert Duvall, have a target on their back and the liberals are going to do all they can to defeat them. We need to help Robert Duvall and other conservative keep their seat.

Several of the "good" councilmen are term-limited out and unless we have other good candidates to run for those seats, they could be lost to liberals. The good news is that some of the most liberal council member are  also term-limited out of office and those seats could be won by conservative candidates if we have good candidates. Some of the liberal Council Members who are not term-limited out of office could be vulnerable and need to be challenged by strong conservative candidates.

To find out who has already declared for election and to read The Tennessean's take on the August 4th Council race, follow this link.

If you are thinking about running, if you are a conservative, have integrity, care about Nashville, and think you have the skills that would make a good council member , I would like to meet you and share what I know.  I served in the Metro Council for two full terms and part of another term and won an election against overwhelming odds. It does not have to take a lot of money to run for Metro Council if you are willing to work hard. I would be glad to meet with you, give you some advice and connect you to other people who may be able to help you.  Contact me.

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