Congress is working hard to pass the mega-cap-and-tax legislation.  Light up the phones lines.  Check Americans for Prosperity for the latest up to date.

Republicans are all against.  Tanner and Lincoln Davis are reportedly no votes as well.

We need your help to stop the cap-and-trade energy tax!

The time has finally come for a vote on cap-and-trade, H.R. 2454. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has called a vote just before the 4th of July recess, hoping to use the specter of keeping everyone in DC and ruining their holiday, to force cap-and-trade legislation through.

This is the key target list based on our most recent information. If your Congressman is on an undecided or leaning list below PLEASE click here and enter your zip code to get your representative’s number and talking points on this issue.

If you have new information please let me know at pkerpen at afphq.org.

For you regular listeners of the radio program, you’ll be excited and happy to know that our favorite economist Wayne Jett now has a website.

Check it out and please send him feedback.

Click HERE.

Outstanding, Wayne.  Simply outstanding.

Remember global warming?  When the warming stopped, the action term warming morphed into climate change.  Now a Democrat consultant says to stop using the term green and instead use clean, as in the clean movement.  Or as in we’re going clean!  Does that term really work with the limitations on toilet paper strategy?

From Greenhellblog.com:

Skeptics beating Al Gore: Dem advisors say drop global warming as lead message

June 22, 2009

A public relations firm advising Democrats on climate legislation says that global warming alarmism needs to be dropped.

According to a memo from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, global warming should not be used as the “primary frame”:

Click over for the rest.

At 5:30 EST today we’ll interview expert Dr. Michael Ledeen about the Iranian situation.  Be sure to tune in.  You can listen online at http://www.leeandterryfrank.com tune us in on at the am dial.

A little about  Michael:

Dr. Michael Ledeen is the Freedom Scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is also a contributing editor at National Review Online. Previously, he served as a consultant to the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Defense Department.  He has also served as a special adviser to the Secretary of State. He holds a Ph.D. in modern European history and philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, and has taught at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Rome.

He is author of more than 20 books, the most recent include: The War Against the Terror Masters;  The Iranian Time Bomb; Machiavelli on Modern Leadership: Why Machiavelli’s Iron Rules Are As Timely and Important Today As Five Centuries Ago, Tocqueville on American Character: Why Tocqueville’s Brilliant Exploration of the American Spirit Is As Vital and Important Today As It Was Nearly Two Hundred Years Ago; and, Freedom Betrayed: How America Led a Global Democratic Revolution, Won the Cold War, and Walked Away.  His forthcoming book (Spring, 2009, St. Martin’s Press) is Accomplice to Evil;  Iran and the War Against the West.

Dr. Ledeen regularly appears on Fox News, and on a variety of radio talk shows.  He has been on PBS’s NewsHour and CNN’s Larry King Live, among others, and regularly contributes to the Wall Street Journal and to National Review Online. He has a blog on Pajamasmedia.com.

If I can find some time before the show starts today, I’ll pull up some older clips from Dr. Ledeen when he visited us before.  His analysis and predictive abilities are dead on and I’d like to show that by pulling up the older stuff.

UPDATE: We’ve had to reschedule Dr. Ledeen for later in the week.  Today we’ll talk to another expert at the same time (5:30) Joshua Goodman.  I’ll issue an update for Ledeen’s reschedule.

 

Joshua Goodman is the director of research at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the deputy director of its Center for Terrorism Research.  At FDD, Mr. Goodman’s research focuses on Iranian and Persian Gulf affairs, Israeli and inter-Arab politics, and transnational security issues. A frequent commentator on Iran, he has appeared on media outlets including ABC Radio, Al Hurra, Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English, BBC Arabic, CBS Radio, and Voice of America Persian Service (TV). Mr. Goodman is a regular contributor on ThreatsWatch, the web-based publication of the Center for Threat Awareness, where he analyzes security issues in Iran and the Persian Gulf. Mr. Goodman earned a Bachelors of Arts (honors) in history from York University (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), and Masters of Arts (magna cum laude) in Middle Eastern History fromTel Aviv University, where his research focused on Shi’a politics, nation building in the Middle East, the relationship between al-Qaeda and Hizballah, and extremism in the Arab Press. His graduate thesis discussed the depiction of Israel in Egyptian political cartoons during the Al-Aqsa Intifadah.

Mr. Goodman can conduct research in Hebrew, French, Farsi, and Arabic.

Now you know I’ve been raising heck for quite a long time about this global warming scam created for the sheer purpose of generating profit and cash for the political class and their allies.  Check out the latest. 

From Bloomberg:

June 16 (Bloomberg) — A Brooklyn-born economist who gave up teaching at the University of California at Berkeley in 1973 to trade the first Treasury-bond futures is getting his way with the biggest change in U.S. environmental policy in 20 years. And he has an unwitting ally from Chicago.

Legislation to let polluters buy and sell carbon-dioxide emissions like pork bellies is the outgrowth of Richard L. Sandor, founder of the Chicago-based network of people trading pollution permits from Beijing to Brussels known as Climate Exchange. It doesn’t hurt that the six-year-old market got $1.1 million of seed money from the city’s Joyce Foundation, whose board included a little-known state senator named Barack Obama. Now the 44th president is determined to enact America’s first limits on greenhouse gases.

That the 67-year-old Sandor finds himself working with Henry Waxman, the California Democrat sponsoring the bill to cap emissions from refiners, utilities and manufacturers, is a belated recognition that Chicago-style pragmatism may prevail in the battle between business and environmentalists.

Randolph and Mortimer Duke: Betting on Carbon Futures to Save Mother Earth!

Controversy over using state computers and the state email system to send emails has erupted into a firestorm.  I agree that the forwarding of such an email was a bad decision.  I received the same email some time ago and dumped it.  (Correction/update: I just looked at the actual email in question instead of the description as appears in media reports.  The one I received was an actual photo of the President with no cartoon eyes.)   But now that our state computers and state system are under the microscope and outrage via the use of taxdollars is the focus, I’d like to issue an immediate call to action!  

Today I’d like to call for an examination of all emails and comments submitted to blogs on the state computer system to make sure no other such inappropriate emails, pictures, links, or comments have been made.

As we know, state employees surf the blogs and some state employees leave inappropriate comments. Some even leave nasty, personal remarks, for instance, one member of the administration is known by some bloggers to leave comments regarding the Tennessee Center for Policy Research.

Some comments show up on blogs like mine, comments like this one left about national and statewide radio host Steve Gill:

harold
harold@shortmail.net | 198.146.119.118

Steve Gill sucks!

From Steve Gill on Fox and Friends, 2007/11/29 at 11:30 AM

Who left that comment?  Well, I checked when it came up and saved it for just such a day.  Why none other than someone posting from the Tennessee Board of Regents! You know, the TBOR, the bastion of higher lurnin’!

2007/11/29

 

OrgName:    Tennessee Board of Regents 

OrgID:      TBOR

Address:    1415 Murfreesboro Road

Address:    Suite 350

City:       Nashville

StateProv:  TN

PostalCode: 37217

Country:    US

So let’s get to work cleaning up Tennessee!  Show us the comments, the emails, and the links!  

Bloomberg has the latest on the proposed Democrat “hope and change” coming down the pike:

June 12 (Bloomberg) — Health-care overhaul legislation being drafted by House Democrats will include $600 billion in tax increases and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel said.

Now as Ed Morrissey points out, when President Bush tried to tackle the issue, he was demonized by the Democrats.  Writes Ed:

When George Bush tried to tackle escalating Medicare and Medicaid costs and a looming entitlement catastrophe with modest funding cuts in both terms in office, Democrats screeched about seniors losing health care and pronounced Bush’s efforts dead on arrival on Capitol Hill. Now, with Barack Obama in the White House, Democrats have suddenly gone mute as the administration proposes to cut hundreds of billions from both programs.

And here’s a video flashback via Hot Air:

Of course I’m guessing the strategy is cutting the benefits in order to make way for all that “free” health-care coming our way, right?  But Investors Business Daily notes that the AMA is finally kicking into gear on the issue:

Health Care: With much of Washington determined to push the country into a government-run medical plan, there’s not been much good news lately on this front. One bright spot, though, has emerged this week.

The largest group of doctors in the country has made it clear that it is not comfortable with legislation that would twist the country’s health care system into a Euro-style scheme that “threatens to restrict patient choice.”

Now as someone who avoids the medical system that I love and brag about as much as possible, I found myself in need of a trip to the ER last weekend.  I was pretty sure the nauseating, paralyzing pain was a kidney stone.  It’ll pass, I thought.  But Mom said I must go see the good folks at MMC and make sure.  

And so our very own Methodist Medical Center and their very fine staff gave me the most wonderful service in the world.  It was as enjoyable as a trip to the ER could possibly be.  Doctor Awesome told me that he thought I was right about the stone but they wanted to make sure. So they did all the necessary tests, including blood work and a CT.  And guess what?  No waiting lists for the CT scan.  No “hey girl, come back in 4 weeks to see if it really is a kidney stone.”  No, right here in the good ole’ US of A,  right here in Oak Ridge, Tennessee I had my scan in an instant.  And because the radiologist had gone home for the evening, a good Doctor in California read my results.  Yep, “6 mm”, he said.

And so the Doctor and I and my family all made a decision on the best course of action and in just a touch over 2 hours from sign in to sign out, I was on my way and ready for work the next morning.

Now I encourage you to think about all the tests I needed being available at a moments notice.  And then watch this video.  And if you have time, watch the next one as well.  ”Free” isn’t all they claim it to be.

How many times will the word “amen” echo after this read from the LA Times:

Using his law enforcement experience and data drawn from the FBI’s behavioral analysis unit, Jim Kouri has collected a series of personality traits common to a couple of professions.

Kouri, who’s a vice president of the National Assn. of Chiefs of Police, has assembled traits such as superficial charm, an exaggerated sense of self-worth, glibness, lying, lack of remorse and manipulation of others.

These traits, Kouri points out in his analysis, are common to psychopathic serial killers.

But — and here’s the part that may spark some controversy and defensive discussion — these traits are also common to American politicians. (Maybe you already suspected.)

Many of you have written or called regarding the show.  Lightning took us out and caused a lot of damage to the Horne Radio Network at the end of last week.  A lot of folks have been working around the clock to get all up and going again. As the repairs are moving forward, one problem solved led to discovery of damage in another area.  The damage was nothing short of extensive.

If all goes according to plan, we should be back and running tomorrow (Tuesday.)  The good news is that a lot of equipment will be new and improved.  That’s the silver lining to the disaster.

Thank you all who have written for the concern.  I’m sure the slimy politicians haven’t missed us, but the few good ones need the encouragement and you need the information.

While we were off the air, the Tennessee Senate met over the weekend and agreed with the House on the Tennessee Plan, meaning selection is still in place for our Supreme Court Justices, you don’t get to vote, and there will be no “reach down” from the Governor.  I’m not sure if Lt. Governor Ramsey comes out looking rather weak or lazy, but the effect seems to leave the impression that Senator Woodson and Senator Overbey run the Senate.

Republican Senators also caved on a lot of their tough budget talk with the Governor: Bredesen huffed and puffed and blew their house in.  They did manage to stay firm on a few things and inside Senate sources say Bredesen dropped a colorful curse word in his budget discussions with Ramsey.  And Bredesen signed the gun bill he was expected to veto in order to focus pressure on the local governments.  

We’ll have a full update when we’re back up.  We’re looking at a 95% chance that all will be good for being back on the air tomorrow.

Check out Tom Humphrey’s blog on what the Senate GOP is doing with the Governor’s budget.  It’s worth clicking over.  It’s what fiscal responsibility looks like.  

And when the national debt problem has talk of nationwide VAT (Value Added Tax) circulating in Washington policy circles, seeing our Tennessee Republicans pushing back and standing up makes me feel good as I head off to bed tonight.

In the battle of what the Tennessee Constitution says it means when it reads that we shall elect our judges, this has to be my very favorite quote from the floor debate on 5/28/09 (click here to listen): doug-jackson-literal-intrepretation

That was Senator Doug Jackson speaking to Senator DeWayne Bunch.  Senator Jackson is fairly conservative as Tennessee Democrats go.  I give him credit for asking the Democrat Party to give back funds from thugs, for being against the income tax, for supporting the 2nd amendment.  I truly appreciate his leadership on many other issues.

But on the issue of reading the Tennessee Constitution, Senator Jackson introduces Tennesseans to a new term for the legislative lexicon: literalist.  It appears conservatives have moved from being labeled knuckle-dragging strict constructionists to your more fundamentalist approach to Constitutional study, that is a “literal” interpretation, i.e. the “Taliban wing of Constitutional interpretation.”

Literalist.  As in, “do you really interpret the Constitution literally?”

So as is the sense of the Senate, the next time you’re pulled over by the police for speeding, tell them you don’t interpret the law literally.  Tell the officer you abide by a living-breathing interpretation of the speed laws.  It’s the spirit that counts, right?

And here is a transcript of Senator DeWayne Bunch (R) speaking in support of allowing contested elections for Judges.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker:

In the time I’ve served in the Legislature it’s been an honor to serve with a lot of wonderful people.  In those twelve years there have been just a few votes that define who we are and define who makes us up.

I can tell you three of those votes:  SJR 127 has made a difference about who serves;  the income tax vote has made a difference about who serves, some of you would not be sitting here but for the income tax vote that occurred in 2002;  the driver’s license for illegal immigrants, I’ve seen many postcards and campaigns occur on that race.   

And I say to you now, this is, I believe, the fourth issue that you’re going to see again. 

The citizens, you may think, have not paid attention to this issue.  And I submit to you that you’ve mistaken the character of our citizens.  They are paying attention to this issue.  You will see this vote again.  This will be a vote that will make up this body and will determine who serves in this body, and determine who serves in the House.  And you know from those three votes I’ve given you that those votes have all played.    And you’ve seen those votes again.  You will have this opportunity again because this one comes down to special interest versus citizens, we won’t rehash the entire affair, but it comes down to this.   

Thank you, Senator Bunch.  You are correct, sir.  You are 100% correct.  

Everyone knows Governor Bredesen wants his legacy to be education and specifically, Pre-K.  President Obama has made this a top domestic goal too.  It’s all about helping out the teachers unions, you know.

Now Pre-K movements have encountered a little trouble nationwide, namely,  studies are NOT producing the promised results.  In fact, some studies (including our very own Tennessee studies) have shown that certain categories of children are actually harmed by Pre-K. So how do you justify stripping needed funds from K-12 in order to fund a new Pre-K program?

Why switch the cause, of course!  Now the sales pitch is no longer about improving educational performance. The sales pitch is now that we need Pre-K in order to keep our kids safe!  Surely everyone is for safety, right?

Teaming up with Law Enforcement organizations, these grow-government-politicians like Phil Bredesen have hit the campaign trail with their Pre-K plans as needed for safety, not education!  Don’t trust me?  Do a little internet search for yourself and check out story after story of this architected, national sales pitch being used in state after state.

And Tennessee is no different.  So why does Governor Bredesen veto a 2nd amendment bill when it only takes 50 votes plus 1 to override?  Because misinformed Police Chiefs like Nashville’s Chief Serpas don’t like citizens having the right to self-defense.  And Serpas needs a little help saving face and Bredesen is there to help out a Chief in need.  After all, the Governor needs some Pre-K help, right?

Serpas is the chief who cites as his proof of “danger” old western movies.

Watch Serpas here make that claim here:

The real deal is this.  It’s called “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”  Or quid pro quo.  Law enforcement helps sell Pre-K for the politician, and the politician works against the rights of the people.  

Tennessee Law Enforcement Leaders Champion Pre-K To Cut Crime - 4.29.09

Law Enforcement’s Case for Pre-K
Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Tennessee recently released a report entitled “Law Enforcement’s Case for Pre-K.” The report cites research showing that children who benefit from early learning experiences are significantly more likely to graduate from high school and avoid crime later in life. To read the full report, click here.

Take the time to watch the raw footage of Governor Bredesen’s press conference.  Notice that there is no discussion of the actual facts of the law.  Facts like: you STILL can’t consume alcohol and carry your firearm even with the passage of this “controversial” legislation.  

Tennessee Center for Policy Research gives love to a certain set of legislators.  From their presser:

Statement on Passage of Unconstitutional Judicial Selection Bill
Legislature continues to deprive Tennesseans of their constitutional right to vote for judges

The Tennessee Center for Policy Research praises the decision today of the forty-four state legislators who took a stand for the people of Tennessee, even as the majority of the House and Senate voted to continue to deprive the people of their constitutional right to elect state appellate judges.

The Tennessee Constitution requires that judges “be elected by the qualified voters” of the state. However, the state Senate voted 27-5 to implement an altered version of the selection-based system that was created in the 1970s. The House then passed the bill by a vote of 57-39. Under the system, judges are selected by the governor from a slate suggested by a committee appointed by the House and Senate speakers. While the new system is an improvement since it increases the level of accountability in the process and lowers the influence of special interest groups, it is no more constitutional than the previous system. 

For the list of the 44, click here.

Here’s the written transcript of Senator Woodson accusing pro-lifers of Machiavellian politics:

SB 1573

Senator Woodson in Closing on Her Judicial Bill

Thank you Mr. Speaker and Members.  We’ve had a tremendous amount of dialogue and I value each of my colleague’s opinions even though with some I strongly disagree. 

I would like to address one point that’s been made on several occasions related to some of these key votes.  And while some us have not lived long on this earth,  some of us have been here through those great battles.   I served in this body and in the House of Representatives now collectively for 11 years, and the scars remain from the battles on the income tax.  We have fresh wounds from a victory on SJR 127. These key, important votes.  And one of the things that I’ve learned or more, realized, over the last week or two, is that while we might politely disagree, I do have those who I have the opportunity to serve with and I have been on the battlefield with, who are in this chamber who are utilizing the Constitution as a cloak for a political agenda.  And members, it is a political agenda that I believe in.  I believe in life. I fought for life.  And I will continue to do so as long as I have the privilege of being elected to serve in this body.  I will not cease. 

But I will tell you the tactic is better suited for Machiavelli, that the ends would justify the means.  Than it would be for reasonable people in the Tennessee state Senate and Tennessee state House. And so I would merely ask this body for us to continue to discuss and debate these important issues of the Constitution.

But when we’re gone from here, our time here will tell a story.  In these votes.  In how we treat one another. And what at the end of the day is with our core and those most important in this conversation, those citizens we have the privilege and opportunity to serve…… and so with that I would like to commend Leader Norris, and for the collective leadership on both sides of a very complex and challenging issue who would take the opportunity to support this bill today, I would ask for your support and I thank you Mr. Speaker.

Listen here to Senator Woodson: woodson-cloak

In her speech in favor of continuing the selection process, State Senator Jamie Woodson calls out fellow Senators for using “the Constitution” to “cloak” what she says is a political “agenda.”  Let’s boil the cabbage down as my old MTSU professor used to say.  

Senator Woodson fully realizes that judicial activism is a political issue.  Justice Sotomayer is on the hot seat at this very moment over this very issue.

As an attorney, Senator Woodson knows full well the argument as regards two philosophical viewpoints with regard to the law and specifically our state and national Constitutions, that is, a strict view of interpretation or one that views our documents as “living and breathing.”

And because she knows activism is a political issue, she cast aspersions on the motives of those opposed to selection.  But allow me to outline where she is wrong and why she has stepped out of bounds:

1. Tennesseans who would view the Constitution via a strict interpretation are naturally going to be opposed to somehow twisting the Constitutional requirement and language of “elect” to mean “select.”  A strict interpretation is just that.

2. To act as if the selection process is a wholesale insulation against politics is extremely dishonest. George Soros has invested in spreading the selection process throughout the country because he has studied the results.  The very change of the meaning of the word elect to include select is activism in and of itself.  And Senator Woodson has sided with that activism.

3. A strict interpretation viewpoint would only naturally and consistently be opposed to a selection PROCESS that leads to or allows for more judicial activism.  Get it?  If you don’t like the activist view that elect means select, NATURALLY AND LOGICALLY you would be opposed to a system that leads to MORE ACTIVISM! Senator Woodson calls that “Machiavellian” in her floor speech.  But Senator Woodson is completely wrong.  

Being opposed to an activist view of the meaning of “elect” is consistent with opposition to a plan that leads to more activism.  That’s consistency.  Not Machiavellian.

While it may be well within the belief system of many proponents of an election system that they favor a strict interpretation of the law, citing the Constitution is not a cloak for such beliefs; it is only secondary to the principle that first and foremost the Constitution reads “ELECT.”  

The proof of activism and a trend of leftward rulings ONLY SERVES TO BUTTRESS the Constitutional argument.  It is fuel for the fire. Not a cloak.

****************Here are the Senator’s words: woodson-cloak

Quote of the day: “Our time here will tell a story.”

Indeed.

And I’ll help everyone here remember.

The Modified Selection Process Passed.  Very few voted against it.  Keeping their word as they stated one year before: Senator Randy McNally and Senator Tim Burchett.  Thank you, Senators.   

The Senate voted 27-5 to pass Senate Bill 1573, which would keep an independent panel in place to screen nominees.

UPDATE: In the House, Speaker Naifeh is said to be adding an amendment to the bill to reinstate the original Tennessee Plan.  Some Republicans are considering supporting the Naifeh amendment in order to kill the modified version in the Senate.

Senator Roy Herron (D) argues that campaigning corrupts, therefore we need to “select” judges.

I guess using such logic, he’s corrupt? Right?

Brother, Herron. Appointees can be corrupt as well.  

So are all our local judges corrupt?  

Word from a State Senator at 9:00 AM CENTRAL:

Strategy is to push Woodson Plan (Judicial Selection Plan) with no roll call vote.  Vote will be soon.

The plan is a voice vote only.

I hope the Lt. Governor doesn’t allow this to happen. 

Where is Senator Mark Norris, our leader?

“One ought never to turn one’s back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.”

– Sir Winston Churchill

Similarly to how Robert Frost’s famous poem begins, our State Senators have two paths laid before them. Signs indicate they may possibly vote tomorrow.

One path, the Senator Jamie Woodson road, leads us astray from our Tennessee Constitution.  It says that when it comes to justice, the simple and lonely word “elect” actually means “select.”  It is the path towards liberalism, towards George Soros, to judicial activism.

The Senator Dewayne Bunch walkway looks daunting and treacherous at first.  It is obstructed by the status quo, by lobbyists, and by Justices themselves–but if one can look over the horizon, Tennesseans stand hand in hand illuminating the way.   Senator Bunch’s path is the path to election, to fulfilling the words, meaning and intent of our Constitution.  It is the path leading to accountability.

What path will the remaining Senators choose to take?  Some have made commitments to we the people, campaign promises and personal pledges.  Some are yet undecided.  And some know the course of their choosing.

On the verge of possibly the biggest vote in many years, you need to take the opportunity and let your Senators know what path you advise.  

I believe the proper choice is Senator Duane Bunch’s road.  I encourage our Senators to take such a path.

But in the end, the choice is theirs and theirs alone.  And at the time, we Tennesseans can only watch, our actions delayed for another time as we too share the burdens or blessings of their choices.  And rejoicing or buckling under consequence, we will look to their record with words of praise or condemnation.  And from there, the battle will continue.

Be vigilant, dear readers.  Leave no regrets.

Senator Dewayne Bunch’s plan: the path to election as the Constitution states.

Senator Woodson’s Plan: The path of selection as liberals devised to maintain their judicial hold on power.

Now this is what I like to see from Senator Alexander  (Of course I don’t like his line about fighting the man-made global warming myth, but I shouldn’t be greedy. I’m just glad he’s got the right answers!)  Thank you, Senator.  One attaboy!

From his presser:

Alexander Announces Plan for 100 New Nuclear Power Plants in 20 Years 

Calls for Rebirth of Industrial America While We Figure Out Renewable Electricity

 

May 27th, 2009 - Oak Ridge, Tenn. - U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today told participants at the Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit that “the United States should build 100 new nuclear power plants during the next 20 years” to put America on the path to clean energy independence. 

 

“One year ago, I came to Oak Ridge to propose a new ‘Manhattan Project’ to put America on the path to clean energy independence. The project would focus on seven ‘grand challenges’: plug-in electric cars and trucks, carbon capture from coal plants, making solar power cost-competitive, recycling used nuclear fuel, advanced biofuels from crops we don’t eat, green buildings and, finally, fusion,” Alexander said. “Today I am in Oak Ridge to propose that the United States build 100 new nuclear power plants during the next 20 years while scientists and engineers figure out these grand challenges. This would double America’s nuclear plants which today produce 20 percent of all our electricity, but 70 percent of our pollution-free, carbon-free electricity.” 

Today on the radio (Wednesday) we’ll interview former Governor and U.S. Senator George Allen about energy issues.  Be sure to tune in during the 4:00 EST hour to hear from one of my favorite leaders.  You can always listen online at leeandterryfrank.com.

And on Friday, Congressman Marsha Blackburn joined us in studio to talk about the cap and trade legislation. Translation: She joined us to talk about the new energy TAX!   If you want to listen to the podcast of Congressman Blackburn, you can do at the leeandterryfrank.com.  Just click on the May 22nd podcast.  

We simply have got to call our U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressman about the horrible cap and trade legislation.  I know the Supreme Court is a HUGE issue, but we don’t need to allow that debate to suck all the oxygen out of the global warming/cap and trade debate.

We’ll also talk today with Justin Owen from the Tennessee Center for Policy Research about this alarming piece of legislation.  Check out Ken Marrero from Blue Collar Muse:

Of all the Orwellian nightmares people have suggested you be concerned about, it would be difficult to find one more universally despised than the idea one’s medical records are available to the state. The potential for abuse and discrimination under such a scenario are legion. Some possibilities are obvious. Like the discrimination against a woman because she might become pregnant, imagine the potential impact on your credit, work or chances for a promotion because of your medical history were it to be known. Others are more fantastic and insidious, bordering on science fiction like the movie “Gattaca”, where all of society - social position, who you marry and your value as a person are based, not on your character but on your genes and how they impact your health. The point being, knowledge of and control over information, especially medical information, carries such potential for abuse and is so personal it has traditionally been held as the most private of private information.

But for how much longer?

TN House Bill 2289 (HB2289) and Senate Bill 2239 (SB2239), according to the state’s website, are innocuous bills on insurance, medical fees and accreditation typical of the uninteresting legislation passed nationwide. Reading the text of HB2289, it is anything but.

It establishes an All Payer Claims Database (APCD). The APCD requires private insurance companies to report to the state the details on the claims they process. For perspective, one particular Tennessee insurer processes 32,000 of those details every hour. That’s 250,000 details per day about private citizens the state wants turned over to them.

After reading Ken’s piece, you need to get on the phone, email, or fax machine with your State Representative or Senators and express your opinion.

I guess I could be brought up on hate charges for just asking the question in my headline, huh?

I wonder if we could talk Treasury Secretary Geithner into an appearance with Glenn Jacobs?  If not in the wrestling ring, maybe in a roundtable debate.

In case you don’t know, Glenn stars as Kane in the world of professional wrestling.  But he is also an outstanding economics teacher.  Lee and the kids and I visited the folks at the Tennessee Liberty Alliance a couple of weeks ago to hear Glenn discuss Austrian economics and the economic meltdown.  He did an fantastic job.

If you have any contacts at the big networks, shoot them an email or give them a call about getting Glenn on their programs.  I know I’m going to.  Glenn has the ability to attract a whole new host of viewers to the world of economic theory and no doubt, we need many more folks to get interested.  

Here’s a pic of Glenn with my sons Atticus, Davis and Avery.  Atticus is 6′1″ and Davis is 6′4″ if that puts Glenn’s size in perspective!

There’s no way to measure his economic knowledge, but he does mention some great names in his presentation: Ludwig von Mises, Frederic Bastiat, Milton Friedman…

By the way, if you’ve never read Bastiat’s The Law, you should.  It is wonderful.  Here’s a taste from the Bastiat website:

Mr. de Montalembert has been accused of desiring to fight socialism by the use of brute force. He ought to be exonerated from this accusation, for he has plainly said: “The war that we must fight against socialism must be in harmony with law, honor, and justice.”

But why does not Mr. de Montalembert see that he has placed himself in a vicious circle? You would use the law to oppose socialism? But it is upon the law that socialism itself relies. Socialists desire to practice legal plunder, not illegal plunder. Socialists, like all other monopolists, desire to make the law their own weapon. And when once the law is on the side of socialism, how can it be used against socialism? For when plunder is abetted by the law, it does not fear your courts, your gendarmes, and your prisons. Rather, it may call upon them for help.

To prevent this, you would exclude socialism from entering into the making of laws? You would prevent socialists from entering the Legislative Palace? You shall not succeed, I predict, so long as legal plunder continues to be the main business of the legislature. It is illogical — in fact, absurd — to assume otherwise.

        

Saturday evening I had the lovely opportunity to meet with newly elected Senator Ken Yager.  Ken replaced the retiring Senator Tommy Kilby.  Both Senator Yager and the retiring Senator Kilby served as County Executives, Ken serving as County Executive in Roane County and Kilby serving in Morgan County.

Senator Yager is new to the world of blogging and the fast moving world of technology and so he scheduled events to meet with bloggers in Nashville as well as at home here in East Tennessee.  

I like events like the one Senator Yager put together.  It’s good to meet the men and women who are crafting policy in Tennessee.  And though I love blogging (yet haven’t had much time this session), I much prefer talking face to face. For one, tone is often a stumbling block in the world of blogging.  But with our busy lives, blogging gives folks the ability to share their opinions and facts, hold debates and offer encouragement, all as your online scheduling permits.  In that regard, blogging is truly a blessing.

We talked about several of the current issues being discussed in Nashville, including the Tennessee Plan, red lights, the coal ash spill, the fingerprinting bill, and more.  

Thank you to the good Senator for putting together the great evening and good food!

State Senator Ken Yager represents the 12th Senatorial District

For 9 years, several outstanding members of our Tennessee House and Senate have worked diligently to undo the JUDICIAL ACTIVISM of a Tennessee Supreme Court moved left by a Judicial Selection Process.  I’m talking about the big win last night in our House of Representatives called SJR 127.

We are now witnessing the age of the Tea Party–a day where frustrated citizens of all or no political stripe gather with posters in hand to draw attention to the shameful and blatant disregard for the rule of law as well as the unfairness of a system that rewards the irresponsible and punishes the responsible.

It is in this day that Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey could separate himself from the political class.  It is in this day that he could show that our legal documents do matter, that the Constitution says what it means.

But instead, he chooses to side with the political Machiavellian advisors whispering the all too familiar message of “where are they going to go?”  I heard Ramsey’s gubernatorial advisor say those very words to me almost 10 years ago.  I think we can look at 2006 and 2008 and see that they may not have gone anywhere, but they didn’t show up.

These naive insiders haven’t walked the streets in awhile.  They rub shoulders with the lobbyists.  They are swayed by the flattery of institutional players.  They overestimate their own importance in the system.  

Every politician needs an honest friend.  A man or woman who wants nothing in return.  A constituent or a friend who never asks for anything except good government.  These friends help such a politician stay true to principle, loyal to the people.  And if you’re not paying for such advice, odds are greater that it’s honest.

A politician who isn’t willing to lose an election for principle isn’t going to find his or her name in any book of standouts.  Churchill was booed back to his seat by his colleagues.  Reagan was ridiculed by his peers. But both of these giants were loved by the people.

I see no evidence at all that Lt. Governor Ramsey has expended any of his political capital in seeing that we the people get our Constitutional right to vote for our judges.  Instead, being the avid reader that I am, I read various statements—no, not various, CONFLICTING statements.  It appears that these statements depend on the audience, the venue, the paper.

Lt. Governor Ramsey: For what is he saving his political capital?

Lt. Governor Ramsey has a chance to shine.  But instead I see clouds on the horizon.

Here’s my advice, Lt. Governor, and it’s from a page from one of my favorites: Fred Thompson’s Senate race.

When you’re team isn’t getting it done, take the reins.  

Let me tell you as a conservative who likes you—you AIN’T gettin’ it done.  

Who are you trying to make happy?  The judges?  The lawyers?  

Let me get down to the brass tacks.  Votes, alliances, and support are never guaranteed.  

And in another time and another place, without the rampant growth in government and our economic times, without the current awakening of the average man, capitulation would hardly be noticed.

But this time around, it’s a litmus test.  Where do you stand?  

I’d ditch the advisors and stand with the people.  When you’re paying for bad advice, I’d take a cue by watching Donald Trump.  Call it a game of Gubernatorial Apprentice.

Folks are sick and tired of the sell-out, dealmakers running the show.  If you have some wavering, weak-kneed fellow Senators, give them a reason to stand with you.  Let this horrible Tennessee Plan expire.  Show Tennessee why you should be the Governor, why you should be the choice of the people. 

And that’s advice from this Tennessee gal who wants absolutely nothing in return.  

Today at 3:05 EST we’ll talk with Larry Pratt, Executive Director of Gun Owners of America regarding GOA’s email alert on Senator Lamar Alexander’s latest piece of legislation.  Here’s some good background on the subject from Frank Talk:

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Do you know what your supposedly “Republican” senator is doing right now?

First, if you followed the vote-tracking link in our alert yesterday, you might have noticed that Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee was the ONLY Republican to vote against repealing the National Parks Service gun ban.

Is this not outrageous!  In voting to retain the NPS gun ban, Sen. Alexander has shown he doesn’t trust you with your guns outside of your home.

And, as if that is not bad enough, it turns out he is also leading the “hit parade” on behalf of legislation which would expand the scope of government in a way unprecedented in human history — and which would place your most private medical data into an anti-gun database.

 

Kudos to Rep. Kelsey, via the Tennessean:

Tennessee’s attorney general says yes-no retention elections for governor and legislators would be unconstitutional.

So elect for Governor and State Reps really does mean we get to choose!  But for black robes, uh….

Here’s the latest on the Tennessee Plan negotiations and Lt. Governor Ramsey.  (Reminder: the Tennessee Plan is expiring.  Step 1 in saving the Soros approved Tennessee Plan was dumping Senator Finney and replacing him with Sen. Overbey–the point man for reauthorizing the Plan.  Reauthorizing?  Yes, I meant to say keeping you idiot Tennesseans from voting and allowing the very special people to pick just who wears the black robes.)

Sorry.  But if you can’t stand with the people, then you stand for nothing.  I could give a rat’s rear end that a Republican might get some say so on the Club of Elitists who will pick the nominees.  

Face it folks.  Even with all this 10th Amendment talk, it looks like both parties are captured.  Not the grassroots, mind you.  The elected.

I hear over and over and over and over and then over and over again that “we can’t reach an agreement.”  How about you try this?  It’s called a vote.  Get folks on the record.  I’m sick of the back  room deals and the back room bravery.  Where’s the News Sentinel and all their open government tripe? Let’s see how brave these legislators are on the record.

I sure hope this isn’t true, but if Ramsey is capitulating, then he’s done for.  I’ll reserve comments for a later date in time in order do my own checking.  But it doesn’t look good.

From Nashville hat tip to AC Kleinheider:

Ramsey relents on contested elections for justices

Associated Press - May 12, 2009 4:15 AM ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Tennessee Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey says he’s backing off of a proposal to have Tennessee Supreme Court justices stand in contested re-election campaigns.

The Blountville Republican tells The Associated Press that the contested elections have been a sticking point in negotiations on changes to the way the state appoints and retains its appeals court judges.

If lawmakers do nothing, the Tennessee Plan for judicial selection will expire at the end of next month.

Ramsey says he expects a compromise to be presented during the Senate Judiciary Committee meeting Tuesday morning.

He says the measure would give the House and Senate speakers sole discretion over who serves on a judicial nominating commission and would replace the yes-no wording on retention ballots with “retain” or “replace.”

NOTE: You may want to call your legislators ASAP. Capitol Hill switchboard is 800-449-8366

Today on the radio, we’ll interview:

Brad O’Leary, author of Shut Up, America! The End of Free Speech, will join us at 5:05 EST.

At 4:30 we’ll talk with Drew Johnson, President of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research about their latest press release concerning Governor Bredesen’s debt/bond plan for Tennessee.

We’ll also talk with Bob Unruh, 30 year veteran journalist and senior editor of World Net Daily, about his story of GPS tags by the Census Bureau.

Tomorrow we’ll be talking with Glenn Jacobs (otherwise known as Kane to all your wrestling fans!) about economic policy and his upcoming speech in Oak Ridge. No doubt he’ll put a little smack down on some government policies!

We’ll also share some in studio time with Andrew Phipps who’s in town from Indiana.  We’ll talk about his video God and Country and his tour across America.  Andrew is a radio host and career educator and we’ll talk about our nation’s history.  

We’ll also talk with Tennessee State Representative Mike Bell about some of his legislative work this session.

And on Friday, we’ll talk with Dr. Patrick Byrne about the economy and his never-ceasing work on behalf of honest markets.  And if you have some shopping to do, be sure to shop at Overstock.com!  If you link to Overstock from DeepCapture.com, a percentage of your purchase will go to continue funding the extraordinary investigative work they do at DeepCapture.com.

I’m not a lawyer, but I can read this in our Tennessee Constitution:

TENNESSEE CONSTITUTION - ARTICLE II DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS

• § 1. Separation of powers; branches of government
• The powers of the Government shall be divided into three distinct departments: the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial.
• § 2. Separation of powers; persons belonging to different branches
• No person or persons belonging to one of these departments shall exercise any of the powers properly belonging to either of the others, except in the cases herein directed or permitted.

Now from where I sit here in little ole’ Clinton, Tennessee, it looks to me like once a piece of legislation EXPIRES, it’s gone, done for as they say. 

So when a bunch of lawyers tell me that all proverbial-hell will break loose and that we’ll still have the Tennessee Plan in place if we don’t do SOMETHING!!  ANYTHING!!, well, forgive me for not getting all hysterical.

Sometimes it’s difficult to see the common sense for the over-analysis.  

To little ole me, without a piece of legislation in place authorizing a judicial selection process, there can be no selection process.  Once June 30th arrives, buh-bye!   

If legislation is not in place continuing the selection process, how can any court mandate the continuance of a plan that has a specific expiration date as part of its initial legislative passage? 

Oh, the how is quite simple.  It’s the same how that took place in Massachusetts when their Supreme Court ordered the Massachusetts  legislature to create legislation.  Mitt Romney failed that test when he failed to notify the court that they had stepped beyond their authority.  A court can rule on law, not require a legislature to make law.

Should legislative wrangling fail in Tennessee, will Lt. Governor Ramsey be a national hero for recognizing the rule of law and separation of powers?

If the so-called Judicial Chaos Theory comes to fruition and a court attempts to force the legislature to pass a bill reauthorizing the Tennessee Plan, will any Senators or Representatives fight back?  It wouldn’t be easy and it would take some courage, but a victory could be accomplished in this regard—and it could easily draw national attention.

For an example of judges overstepping their authority, how about watching one of the top-candidates on President Obama’s list to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter pull back the curtain on how some of the justices really view their role:

Helloooooo?!!!!  

One note that isn’t mentioned in this piece is a little history on Tennessee road projects.  Tennessee has operated on a pay as you go system.  Under Governor Sundquist, the road fund was raided to balance the general budget.  Governor Bredesen made raiding official by making the statutory changes to allow such raiding and note: he did take money from the road fund to finance the general budget.

In my opinion, I can’t think of a much bigger violation of trust.  When you and I stop to fill up the gas tank, we all assume that the little tax sticker we see before our eyes on our per gallon fill up will actually go to the roads.  Not always so.

I don’t have time this morning, but I would wager that over the last few years that close to the amount the state is going to bond is the same amount that was raided from the road fund and never paid back.  I’ll try to do some checking.

Here’s the info from Clint Brewer at the Tennessee Center for Policy Research:

The Billion-Dollar Bond Bonanza
A set of bond bills for public and private projects in this year’s state budget total well over $1.1 billion in cost. Not that anyone is talking about it.
By Clint Brewer

Though it has been sparingly addressed in the chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly this session, the proposed state budget includes two bond issues that combined top $1 billion in cost over the life of the bonds.

Senate Bill 2358, sponsored by Sen. Jim Kyle (D-Memphis), and House Bill 2390 by Rep. Craig Fitzhugh (D-Ripley) call for direct general obligation interest-bearing bonds of $701,100,000. The massive bond issue accomplishes a variety of goals according to the attached fiscal note.

• Allocates $350,000,000 to the Tennessee Department of Transportation for construction and maintenance of state highways including extensive bridge repair.
• Sends $210,900,000 to the Department of Finance and Administration for capital outlay and grants to local governments.
• Provides $56,900,000 in grants tied to the Wacker Chemie AG Project in Bradley County.
• Bonds $80,000,000 that the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration says is to secure credit for road projects that will ultimately be paid for in cash. The $80,000,000 bond approval would then be repealed.
• Repeals six previous bond authorizations with a principal amount totaling $41,285,000.
• Supplies $3,300,000 capital outlay and maintenance for state buildings and grants for local governments.
• Realizes a debt service savings of $600,000 per years.

The increased debt for Tennessee government is substantial, especially considering plans to bond the expense of some projects in lieu of cash already approved in previous state budgets.

The bonds increase state expenditures by $76,600,000 annually in first year debt service alone. Over the life of the bonds, the expense for this spending package will be $1,133,991,000 – $695,700,000 in principal payments and another $438,291,000 in interest.

On top of this bond issue is a separate bond bill that has already been passed and sent to Gov. Phil Bredesen’s desk for $262,000,000 related to Volkswagen and Hemlock economic development projects.

Elements of the bond measure have raised some concern in the General Assembly. Most notably, a $350,000,000 piece for the maintenance of bridges and roads has been openly questioned by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) and held up in committee. Concerns have been raised about borrowing the money for the projects through issuing bonds versus paying for the projects in cash.

There is also a component of the bond issue that would see state government swapping out cash already approved for projects in previous state budgets for bond revenue. The cash would then go back into the state’s sagging reserve fund.

A spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration as well as State Treasurer David Lillard both said that in the proposed budget there is a measure to move $168,300,000 previously approved for new buildings and renovations in the state’s two higher education systems as well as in corrections and mental retardation programs back to the reserve fund. The same projects would move forward with money generated from bond revenues.

Paying Cash

Though the larger Kyle/Fitzhugh bond bill or the in lieu of cash component has not drawn much public attention from legislators to date, pieces of it are being debated vigorously.

Specifically, Lt. Gov. Ramsey has openly questioned using bonds to pay for $350,000,000 in bridges and road projects rather than to pay for them in cash – once the norm for state government in Tennessee when it came to Department of Transportation projects.

In an April 16 meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) led a move to hold up approval of the road and bridge projects, asking for more “details on what money will fund which bridges and road projects,” according to a report in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press.

Alternate Numbers

A set of memos created by Lillard for members of the legislature peel back some layers on the complex bond picture for the 2009 legislative season.

The memos, obtained by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, were created at the request of some legislators, Lillard said.

One memo shines a light on the in lieu of cash deal in the budget and enabled by SB 2358/HB 2390 that is overlooked in the fiscal note. Lillard’s memo also notes that any energy and conservation program bonds are separate.

A second memo is devoted solely to the $350,000,000 for the TDOT bridges and road projects, comparing the cost of paying for the projects in cash spread out over 5.1 years, 7.35 year or 10.5 years to the cost of generating the bond revenue.

Using a rate of inflation of 4 percent at 10.5 years and of 8 percent at 5.1 years, Lillard finds savings for the state by using cash for the projects. The cost of the rate of inflation would be $68,631,443 and $57,390,505 respectively versus the cost of issuing the bonds at $93,677,500. In other words, bonding, rather than paying cash for these TDOT projects, will cost the state as much as $25,036,057, according to Lillard’s estimates.

An F&A spokesperson noted that in general using cash always avoids bond issuance cost.

“You always avoid cost of issuance when you don’t issue,” F&A spokesperson Lola Potter said in an email to TCPR. “But, we have a shortfall in cash, with none to substitute, so it’s a moot point.”

To view these memos online, click HERE.