The GOP's Bacon Addiction

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="450" caption="As seen in Washington, D.C., the Bacon Briefcase! Perfect for bringing the pork home to your congressional district."][/caption]

The Knoxville News Sentinel published the kind of story today that grates on my nerves to no end.

In a nut shell, the "fiscal conservatives" of my home state Tennessee are lining up to spend federal dollars. From the article:

"Our nation is sinking under a mountain of debt," said U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, who got nearly $4 million for various projects in his district. "While a very small percentage of the bill funded some worthwhile projects in Tennessee, the overall cost is way too high.

So there we have it. If I'm ever swimming, I hope Zack Wamp is not the lifeguard on duty. He says Uncle Sam is drowning, so the only appropriate thing to do? Hold his head under water.

What yanks my chain the most is the hypocrisy. Republicans conveniently forget their own rhetoric when it's time for funding requests. Yet that's all we hear from these clowns. "Spending is out of control, blah, blah, snore."

Spending is a big problem for the GOP. They love to hate it but can't help themselves, like teenagers with mommy and daddy's credit card.

These sorts of things live on though, and it's not to say it doesn't create an image problem. Spending habits will likely be talking points fodder for upcoming elections, especially when a "fiscal conservative" name is tied to the porky, bacony, greasy projects.

I hope they like this year's bacon because I suspect it will be the last year for pork under this president. Despite this year's omnibus bill, Obama has pledged to cut the fat in the future. So we might not see this much spending again until our next Republican administration.

Would You Rather?

Watch Elf, the 2003 Will Ferrell Christmas movie about a man who thinks he's an elf?



Or look for interesting kernals of political discourse from our nation's senators who are arguing over what to do with health care reform?



Believe it or not. Tonight. Christmastime nonsense wins me over.

Is The Tennessean a Threat to Journalism?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="440" caption="It's easy to write inflammatory headlines."][/caption]

The headline "Is Islam a threat to America?" jumps off the pages of The Tennessean's Sunday edition.

In the words of president's supposed least favorite Christmas show star Charlie Brown: Good grief!

First: The famous question headline bothers me to no end, specifically when you're reporting on highly flammable subject matter.

Second: The subhead has an opportunity for some semblance of balance, but instead opts for the here's an opinion; here's the denial format. Seen here:

Nashville activists warn churchgoers of violent threats to America; Muslims call campaign unfair

Reading four or five graphs into the story, one can find a decent rebuttal that digs deeper than "no we're not."

Lazy. Lazy. Lazy.

The rest of the story goes on to offer some incredibly interesting -- sometimes shocking (local) -- points of view, but I dare say that many people won't keep reading. They'll be happy with the negative opinion they formed from just the headline.

Are Coal-Fueled Power Plants Bad For Our Lungs?

Is The Tennessean a Threat to Journalism?

Is Tiger Woods a Danger to His Children?

Can Sponge Bob Squarepants be Trusted?

All of these headlines plant an opinion in the reader's mind. Rather than opening a reader's mind to various viewpoints, these types of headlines subconsciously, sometimes consciously, force a reader to pick a side immediately by answering "yes" or "no."

Once a reader has an opinion formed, is it necessary to keep reading? Probably not.

The Nondescript Apology by Tiger Woods

[caption id="attachment_121" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Tiger preparing to put his balls somewhere."][/caption]

"Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions," Tiger Woods says in a press release posted at his personal Web site.

Oh, Tiger. You just don't get it.

He may have mastered the art of reading a 60-foot put (with help from performance-enhancing Eagle Eye vision surgery) but he doesn't know jack about public relations or celebrity media.

You cheated once twice (that we know of), that's given. It's fact. It was printed by The Enquirer.

Next step is to come out squarely denying or 'fess up. Full disclosure. This won't go away until TMZ and funny papers run out of angles. And by the sound of the rumors flying around — you've given them plenty of angles. If addressing the situation head on is not your style, than shut your trap and fall off the planet for a few years. 'Cause if you don't think this is going to be brought up at every golf telecast for the next year, I think you're sadly mistaken.

You can't put yourself out there to become the most recognizable face in, let's say, THE WORLD, and expect absolute privacy.

What's even worse is the nondescript, sort-of apology he issued under the title, "Tiger comments on current events." And not one mention of Obama's Afghanistan war strategy! Here are the highlights with my commentary inserted in red:

I have let my family down and I regret those transgressions with all of my heart. There "transgressions." Nice and tidy. Note the plural leaves plenty of ambiguity. I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. No shit, I've seen you off the tees. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone. He's trying for a sympathy card here, but it ain't workin'. Billionaire philanderer + hot wife = No sympathy.

Although I am a well-known person and have made my career as a professional athlete, I have been dismayed to realize the full extent of what tabloid scrutiny really means. Classic. Hang the messenger. Did I mention, NO ONE FEELS BAD FOR YOU? For the last week, my family and I have been hounded to expose intimate details of our personal lives. The stories in particular that physical violence played any role in the car accident were utterly false and malicious. She beats me, but I'll look like an ass if I say that here. Elin has always done more to support our family and shown more grace than anyone could possibly expect.

This next paragraph is incredibly boring and redundant. Let me sum it up. Why can't I just live a private life in my incredibly exclusive gated neighborhood in my multi-million dollar mansion? But no matter how intense curiosity about public figures can be, there is an important and deep principle at stake which is the right to some simple, human measure of privacy. I realize there are some who don't share my view on that. But for me, the virtue of privacy is one that must be protected in matters that are intimate and within one's own family. Personal sins should not require press releases and problems within a family shouldn't have to mean public confessions.

Whatever regrets I have about letting my family down have been shared with and felt by us alone. He's right about that. I could care less. I have given this a lot of reflection and thought and I believe that there is a point at which I must stick to that principle even though it's difficult.

I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves. For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology. Blah, blah, snore.

He would have been better off not saying a thing.

Mad Lib Email Jokes

[caption id="attachment_108" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="The always inquisitive, governor-quitter Sarah Palin"][/caption]

A relative of mine forwarded me an e-mail with a joke about Obama. Boring. The prose was weak. The punch line was lacking. So I took some comedic liberties with the joke -- basically making it hilarious -- with only a few small revisions. The replacement words are in red.

Enjoy!

With children talking about Sarah Palin's new book Going Rogue, a teacher asked her sixth grade class how many of them were Palin fans.

Not really knowing what a Palin fan is, but wanting to be liked by the teacher, all the kids raised their hands except  for Little BJ.

The teacher asked Little BJ why he has decided to be different. Little BJ said, "Because I'm not a Palin fan."

The teacher asked, "Why aren't you a Palin fan?"

BJ said, "Because I'm a Democrat."

The teacher asked him why he's a Democrat.

Little BJ answered, "Well, my mom's a Democrat and my dad's a Democrat, so I'm a Democrat."

Annoyed by this answer, the teacher asked, "If your mom was a MORON and your dad was an IDIOT, what would that make you?"

With a big smile, Little BJ replied, "That would make me a Palin fan."

***

Pretty great, right?

Save this Poll for Dancing

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="321" caption="Some polls should be left for dancing, even if it's spelled wrong."][/caption]

I have a love-hate relationship with polls. I love them because they're so official. A bunch of red-blooded Americans, such as myself, voted on a topic and here are the results. This IS how the country feels.

But recently, USA Today/Gallup released a poll results on the $787 billion stimulus that didn't sit right:

"Just 38% of 1,010 respondents in a new USA TODAY/Gallup poll believe the $787 billion in stimulus spending will "make the economy better" in the long term.

Another 38% expect the plan to leave the economy in worse shape, while 22% believe it will have no effect." Courtesy of the LA Times.

Wing nut villagers brought out pitchforks. It was ugly. I really hate this type of poll. Before I explain, read the nation's largest daily newspaper's take on their survey. USA Today picture is even more grim: (Must. Sensationalize. Everything.)

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found 57% of adults say the stimulus package is having no impact on the economy or making it worse. Even more —60% — doubt that the stimulus plan will help the economy in the years ahead, and only 18% say it has done anything to help improve their personal situation.

Sounds doomy. And gloomy.

Here's my problem with this poll. Asking Americans about the stimulus package is the same as asking them about the economy. They are inextricably linked together in the collective psyche of Joe Sixpack, also me.

The problem with asking the public about the effectiveness of the stimulus, a la the economy, is that the economy still sucks right now. Still bleeding jobs, no hiring, etc. Who's going to say everything is working great when things are only status quo — no major improvements, no gold toilets?

Wing nuts are using this as an attack point, but in reality, it doesn't tell the whole story. The stimulus averted us from disaster. But just avoiding complete financial ruin, apparently, isn't good enough. Thankfully, no one knows how bad it would have gotten and no one has to make that comparison. But here we are.

Gripe no. 2: Why would you bother asking the general public (about 1,000 people) about the economy? U.S. economics is complex. It's an international machine with hundreds of thousands of intricate facets and irregularities.

John Q. Public has problems changing the time on his car stereo, let alone deciphering meaning from a three-quarter trillion dollar infusion of capital to stave off the collapse of a delicate financial system. Asking if it worked or not is an oversimplification.

So here we are: Did the stimulus work? Who should we ask for an intelligent answer. Why NOT poll 1,000 economists?

Well, who the hell has time to report facts? Almost no one. Because, honestly, the facts aren't that interesting.

What paper would dare, risking readers, in this terrible economic climate, to write a boring story? God bless the uninteresting U.S. News & World Report for getting the story right:

Mixed, Incomplete Economic Results So Far on Obama’s Stimulus

There are signs of hope, but there’s a way to go

Huh? Oh, sorry. Fell asleep. But that headline and subhead nail it. Whole story done. Essentially, we'll let you know when we KNOW more.

Instead we get polls. Public opinion polls that tell us nothing other than the feeling de jour. Newspapers should use caution when regurgitating survey results, especially when an expert opinion might be more informative for readers.

Whoa! Nellie

The first woman to serve as a governor in the United States was Nellie Tayloe something. She had two last names.

The second one wasn't important.

Anyway. She was elected in 1924.

That's just four years after the United States ratified the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. That's pretty close to 1917, but I digress.

She took office in 1925 -- a full 50 years before a woman would be elected governor of Conneticut.

Woot! Woot! Suck it, Nutmeggers.

Cannonball!

I think it's time for a Cannonball Run remake. Or perhaps revisioning.

Considering Dom Delouise' recent passing, I think the timing is right.

The real question is who will portray the amazing comedic duo of Reynolds and Delouise?

Here are my top shelf ideas:

1. Brad Pitt & George Clooney
2. Horatio Sans & Chris Katan (sp)
3. Jack Black & The Rock

WTF, America?

We have a serious lack of funny chubby dudes and hunky sports types.

Give me your best Cannonball Run replacements in the comments.

Miley's totally public twitter feed: Don't document my life

I found Miley Cyrus' twitter feed ironic today. All the fame and exposure was getting to the Disney starlet and giving her a headache, according to an earlier tweet.

Check it out for yourself:

[caption id="attachment_74" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Miley's twitter feed from today said she wanted privacy, an undocumented life."][/caption]

Isn't twitter a form of documentation? Especially when the whole world sees it?

Here's a tidbit of advice from a former child star (Harvey, Bad Year for Tomatoes, anyone?) for the teen sensation: stop inviting people into your life. Granted Miley has acheived stardom slightly above my own, but I can relate.

The more you put yourself out there, the more people want to engage you. So you've got two options. Slow it down, fewer shows, less twittering, cut out some appearances, etc. But I can understand if that's not appealing because who knows, in a couple years you could end up like McCauley Caulkin, whose movies you've probably never seen, and you're no longer raking in that Mouse money.

So your other option is to do like Prince. Live in the Midwest. Or heck, move back to Franklin, Tenn.

That's also what Dave Chapelle did. At the height of his career, he up and moves to Nowheresville, Ohio.

The downside: Now they both suck at being famous. So that's the price you pay.

Looks like you'll probably just have to deal with the grief, which will probably give you a headache.



Help? Well, I'd start with a nice dip in my gold-plated hot tub. That'd probably make me feel better.

Any suggestions for young Miley?

Changeling

For those of you who have not seen Changeling, you should remedy that.

 

[caption id="attachment_71" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="This movie totally impressed me when I wasn't expecting it at all. Jolie's performance was Oscar worthy."][/caption]

And while you're on a Clint Eastwood kick. Find a copy of Unforgiven.

Earthly Uncooling

More startling climate change news that nobody is reporting.

The TG Daily reports:

Antarctica’s glaciers may be retreating at a much faster pace than previously believed, a new study released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicates. One major ice shelf has completely disappeared and another shelf three times the size of Rhode Island has broken off since 1986, the maps reveal.

If I know wing nuts, I'm sure they'd attack the credibility of the U.S. Geological Survey, a research-based arm of the Department of Interior, a.k.a. puppets controlled by the Penguin Agenda.

Then they'll gas about the weather. "It was 30 degrees in Nashville today and it's April. I'm cold. Where's the global warming?!? Wah wah wah."

Weather patterns and climate change are  not the same.

I'm not an alarmist, but this news is disturbing. I think reporters really picked up on global warming back when Al won his Oscar. But now. Eh.

We've got Wall Street's melt down to cover. No interest.

Besides, there's no real villain with global warming and no real chance for a coordinated and meaningful response in the foreseeable future, so it's easier this way.

As a side note, it was also easier for the good people of Germany to go along with the Nazi movement or do nothing to stop it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Map shows their research."][/caption]

Krugman and the liberal media?

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="328" caption="Timother Geithner could use a liberal media right now."][/caption]

I have a hypothesis about political hacks and talking heads (mostly the big dogs, small town bloggers like myself don't count): Liberal pundits are more likely to attack the actions and plans of Democrats than wingnuts are with regards to Republicans.

 

Or maybe more to the point, when a liberal attacks a liberal, apparently, it's news. 

I have no evidence. Just one, single observation. 

On March 23, 2009, Paul Krugman slammed the Geithner plan to buy up toxic assets off the banks books. (And I don't even have an opinion about the plan, so that's not relevant.)

A Google News search at Midnight showed Krugman's name was mention in about 4,000 articles in the last hour. And a vast majority of them, gauging from a precursory skimming of a few pages, are about how he's blasting Obama's toxic asset plan.

Why is this newsworthy?

Question One: Is he the only damn economist available? Reporters, haven't you ever heard of HARO? 

Answer One: No. But didn't you hear about all the staff cut backs. It's easier just to rehash the wire story, or worse, Drudge.

Question Two: When in the world does the media ever give a crap about Paul Krugman. 

Answer Two: They don't. He gases everyday about something within the confines of his blog The Conscience of a Liberal on NYTimes.com and it hardly ever makes a blip.

Sure the media covered the story about Paul winning the Nobel Prize, but it's all about placement. I guarantee his Nobel Prize win didn't lead the newscast.

So where is the so-called liberal media when Tim Giethner could use it? 

It's a farce. It's a red herring. It's literally a phrase Republicans made up in the '70s to have a scapegoat for why their dirty, secretive president couldn't get any love.

And even though I believe a slim majority of the media probably are more liberal in slant, I think news coverage is slanted to the conservative. It has to be so they can say their actions are beyond reproach.

And this ties into the overall theory here: Liberals are much more likely to be critical of liberals than is true for conservatives judging the actions of conservatives.

JFK. LBJ. FDR. BHO.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="160" caption="If you don't know, President Barack Obama's middle name is Hussein, which means "good-looking.""][/caption]

A few days ago, the communications chief for the Tennessee GOP commented on my blog post which called the actions of the state's Republican leadership childish and self-defeating with regards to the speaker of the house fiasco.

I accused the Tennessee GOP of referring to President Barack Obama as Barack — Hussein — Obama as many times as possible for political gain, playing on the obvious name association with the deposed Iraqi tyrant Saddam Hussein.

To clear the record of our honorable, mostly laughable state GOP,  Mr. Bill Hobbs said in a comment that I was mistaken about how many times Hussein had been used:

"False. Completely false.

The TRP used Obama’s middle name the exact same number of times that Obama himself used it in taking the oath of office.

ONE TIME."

Now it's at least two. Today in the City Paper, I read this:

While Sen. John McCain “repudiates” using Sen. Barack Obama’s middle name of Hussein, the Tennessee Republican Party is embracing it.

The Tennessee GOP sent out an anti-Obama press release Monday in which the Illinois Democrat was referred to as “Barack Hussein Obama.” ...

When asked if Obama’s middle name though – the same name as former Iraqi president and tyrant Saddam Hussein – gave off a different connotation than others, Smith suggested that Obama’s parents needed to be contacted.

“You can call his momma and daddy on that one,” Smith said."

Stay classy, Robin Smith, chairwoman of aforementioned state party. Good grief with this. Where to start?

First, Smith and the Tennessee Republican Party are naive to think this crap works (ahem, election?).

Maybe they are just sore losers and are reverting to (what they are denying is) bush-league name calling. No matter what they say, it's name calling. Point: Calling someone "Hitler" would also be a negative moniker.

Maybe, just maybe, the TRP is actually noble in their Husseining around. Perhaps they are trying to take the sting out of the president's middle name by repeating it until the hurt of hundreds of thousands slain Iraqis is gone. They are taking back "Hussein" for the good guys.

Let's explore the third — and most likely — reason the state GOP keeps on the Hussein train:

• In Arabic, Hussein means "good-looking." Barack: guilty as charged.


• Hussein is a popular name in Sweden. It ranked highest in 1999, when it was the 168th most popular name for baby boys in Sweden. In 2006, it ranked at number 206. I don't see why they are trying to get it good with the Swedes, but I'm monitoring the situation.


• GOPers are trying to give some props to fashion designer, Hussein Chalayan. Tennessee GOPers could use some style. OH SNAP!

With the venom gone and Hussein claimed for everyone, I'm going to start using the president's middle name in my everyday vernacular.

"Hey, bro. That shirt is real spiffy. The gals are going to think your incredibly Hussein."

"OMG. P Diddy and Miley Cyrus are here. This party's Hussein."

"The Tennessee GOP is having a bake sale, but those cookies aren't Hussein enough for me."

Heck, the popularity of the Tennessee GOP's "Hussein" movement might prompt Obama to pull a Coolidge. His given name was John Calvin Coolidge, but he started going by just his middle name. I like this option, but it's not plausible because the name "Barack" is perhaps too awesome.

But there is one thing this "Hussien" deal lays out perfectly. It gives historians the option of referring to Obama by three letters, a designation reserved for great presidents. JFK. FDR. LBJ. And now, BHO. (To be fair, Abe Lincoln and George Washington didn't have middle names.)

A conversation coming to a water cooler near you:

"Lunch today? KFC?"

"You're SOL. I brought a BLT. So what do you make of W's legacy?"

"From my POV, W was a WMD who gave the USA a figurative STD, leaving the economy DOA for BHO."

"LOL. Agreed. He only watched out for VIPs, leaving my IRA TKO'd and me with IOUs."

"We'd be better off if W was MIA."

"ROTFL. What are your acronymical thoughts on BHO?"

"BHO's TCB. He's fixing W's eight years of WTF with a BFB that will finally give taxpayers some TLC and ROI."

"On second thought, I will go to KFC. With BHO's tax breaks I have an extra $8 bucks this week."

--

Extra reading:

Juan Cole blogs he's proud of his president's name in "Barack Hussein Obama, Omar Bradley, Benjamin Franklin and other Semitically Named American Heroes."

CQ: GOP Gov. Candidate Zach Wamp Tied To Lobbyist Earmark Scandal

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="266" caption="I don't think it's fair to sully the name of Richards Simmons, who is not mentioned in CQ's report. But this is the best picture of Wamp I could find. (Credit: Contact Music)"][/caption]

Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) has been accused along with a laundry list of federal lawmakers of taking $23,000 of illegal campaign controbutions from a well-connected Washington lobbying firm, according to the Congressional Quarterly.

The FBI is investigating.

Wamp, who had announced a 2010 bid for governor, secured a $2.8 million contract for a client of lobbying firm, The PMA Group. Financial reports show Wamp received $23,000 in campaign contributions from firms tied to PMA.

The report says more than 100 House members secured more than $300 million worth of congressional earmarks for PMA's clients since 2001. The same group has accepted a cumulative $1,815,138 in campaign contributions from PMA’s political action committee and employees of the firm.

From CQ:

More than 100 House members secured earmarks in a major spending bill for clients of a single lobbying firm — The PMA Group — known for its close ties to John P. Murtha , the congressman in charge of Pentagon appropriations.

“It shows you how good they were,” said Keith Ashdown, chief investigator at the watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense. “The sheer coordination of that would take an army to finish.”

PMA’s offices have been raided, and the firm closed its political action committee last week amid reports that the FBI is investigating possibly illegal campaign contributions to Murtha and other lawmakers.

From a lay person's perspective, you don't want your name on this list.

Funny: Wamp was recently heard complaining about "bad spending" in the stimulus bill.

Dr. Frist starting club to point out Tenn.'s education problems

Well, Bill, you're going to need more than 10 meetings.

Broadway, 1100 reports:

"Pointing to Tennessee's ranking in the bottom 10 for educational achievement nationwide, former Senate majority leader Bill Frist called improving the state's schools a moral imperative and announced his new effort to do that.

He's launching the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, or SCORE, featuring a series of town hall and steering committee meetings across the state plus project teams to address teacher quality, technology and other topics.

"We don't need to be the 41st in the country," Frist said. "The biggest legacy we could leave is to pull Tennessee up."

Excuse me, Bill. Weren't you once a powerful U.S. senator? A senator with influence? A senator who could have gotten the ball rolling on meaningful education reform that didn't look like No Child Left Behind?

Yes you were. But, at the time, you were more concerned with pushing the neo-con agenda and making diagnosis from the senate floor.

Now you give us SCORE. Considering our state's high teenage pregnancy rate, I'm sure there is already enough scoring. But I digress.

This is, at the very least, an admirable cause. Tennessee needs better education like a meth addict needs teeth and skin cream.

Too bad the club's only real power is its ability to release a report with former Sen. Bill's John Hancock. And you know what you can get with $1.29 and Bill Frist's signature? A Pepsi — maybe.

Don't get me wrong: I'd love to see this report filled with brave, new ideas for Volunteer State schools. I'm as progressive as anybody.

SPOILER ALERT: Brave, new ideas in education require big boxes of tax payer gold.

But most of Tennessee's public schools have one big hurdle in common: they get their funding from a county commission. And county commissions, for the most part, hate funding school budgets.

It's a purposefully painful and contentious relationship.

So where would funding for Frist's ideas come from?

1. County commissions gladly agree to spend more to adopt reforms. Not likely.


2. State lawmakers mandate the counties spend more. Not likely.


3. The state picks up the tab. With what money?


4. Millionaire, former-Sen. Bill Frist pays for it out of the goodness of his heart. HA! (Put your money where your mouth is doctor.)

In this political climate change, which is man-made, I don't see any of these actually happening.

Granted, the cause is noble and the lip service is needed. But I just don't see much coming of this.

I hope like hell I'm wrong.

Have a sense of humor, TN GOP!

The Grand (really) Old (and cranky, no-fun) Party in Tennessee has no sense of humor.

The Associated Press is reporting today the always classy state GOP took out an ad portraying the newly -- and fairly -- elected Speaker of the House Kent Williams as a Judas.

The Tennessee Republican Party has run an advertisement in House Speaker Kent Williams' hometown newspaper to denounce the man they booted from the GOP earlier this week.

The ad in the Elizabethton Star says Williams betrayed the core values of the party when he allowed himself to be nominated and elected speaker of the House by the chamber's 49 Democrats.

The ad also complains that Williams assigned the best office space and staff to Democrats.

Whayh whayh whayh! I'd like to officially served the lamest party in the state a plate of whamburgers and French cries.

They already booted him from the party. But now they have to insult him in his own newspaper. This behavior is exactly why the Republicans will lose their grip on the Volunteer State.

No ideas. No innovation. No tolerance. No sense of humor (unless they are telling the jokes).

No surprises either. This is the same group that mercilessly referred to President Barack Obama as Barack — Hussein — Obama every chance they had. Until. John McCain told them to have a glass of shut your pie hole.

The Tennessee GOP is the most adolescent organization in politics today.

The whole Williams thing is a product of reaping what you sow. Had the state GOP not campaigned against him in the last election, he might've been willing to play ball with them.

Instead, this is what they get.

Hey, Kent. You're better off without them.