“No more,” indeed.

Aunt B says “No More:”

Since it’s more important for the old guard to be gloating jackasses than to do actual Democratic outreach, they have completely missed the shift among some previously neutral or enthusiastic young people towards the TNDP. But because I am already an asshole, I will tell you straight up. Old guard, there’s some coalition building you could do with your young people, if you’d put down the “Oh my god, those idiots and their love for Chip Forrester. How can we run them out of the party this week?” People have come away from this year with the impression that there’s no support for candidates in small races, no support for people who aren’t in the “right” districts. If that’s not also your strategy, you might could find some new allies.

Newscoma says,”No More:”

So here is my take on what happened. Liberal Tennessee bloggers took an ass-kicking for being passionate. Our message of unity for the party was minimized. And there were rumors that the attacks came from members of my own party although I have no proof of that. I have to tell you, I was really shocked and I hope that’s not true.

…

Let’s just say I had to take a break about what’s going on in this state’s party politics. The sad thing I’ve seen is that it’s almost like a frat keg party these days though and everyone who’s blasting back a bad draft beer isn’t anticipating the hangover their going to have tomorrow morning.

Because that’s what’s going to happen if we keep this up come election time.

We have to get it together, campers. So, some of us are taking our concerns offline which honestly, in some ways, means we are probably getting more done than fighting trolls. We shouldn’t feel that we have to do that though.

And there are new fresh faces and blogs out there that want to be a part of the big picture. I feel like, at times, I lost my line of vision on that. We need them.

And THEY haven’t taken their eyes off the prize. So make them welcome. I’m saying that to everyone. The TNDP and the folks who hate the TNDP right now who are still democrats. The mission should be about the principles of the party and not the personalities.

Steve Ross says “No More:”

Anyone who thinks the issue with Democratic Institutions in Tennessee, from the TNDP down to the lowliest of lowly county parties falls on the shoulders of one man or woman is trying to deflect blame from someone who probably REALLY deserves it, that someone either being them, or someone they support. The truth of the matter is that they all have issues that have been around longer than I’ve been paying attention.

I could go on and on about all the crap that shoulda, coulda, woulda, but I’d just be rehashing posts from last November through February, so if you want to know what’s wrong, go back to those posts and apply it to just about everything that has a “Democratic” anything to it in this state, including myself.

In all seriousness, there have been some baby steps in the right direction, but from the TNDP and the Caucus organizations down to the county parties it’s just not happening fast enough.

Heck. Even Kleinheider says, “No More:” (Wait. What?! – Ed.)

But these voters, unlike their tea party activist manipulators, don’t give a damn about Edmund Burke, Ludwig Von Mises or Ayn Rand. They
want jobs and a government that makes sense to them — that’s it. As long as Democratic candidates don’t explicitly agitate their culturally conservative sensibilities and can deflect the appeals Republicans make on those hot-button social issues, these voters can be won over with economic arguments.

No more. No more. No more.

You think you can scare away Tennessee’s new breed of progressives? Go ahead, try. Sling your best mud and your best lies, you cowards. While you hide behind your anonymous troll pseudonyms, we’ll all be here (well, except for Kleinheider – he’s just right) out in the open working for the values, principles, and policy directions important to all Tennesseans and not just a select few.

She who defines it, owns it.

In light of today’s announcement from Bart Gordon, yet another Congressional Democrat to announce he will not seek re-election, here’s the QOTD from Aunt B:

“As for us, we could try to be Democrats, actual Democrats, who stand for something other than being like the Republicans, but not.”

Why is this important? Aunt B’s answer is almost right:

“Because here’s the question Democrats have to answer: You’ve been running ever-increasingly conservative candidates. You’ve been supporting ever-increasingly conservative legislation. If the Republicans do gain control of the legislature and redistrict you out of Tennessee politics for the next generation, will we be able to tell the difference?”

Well, yeah, we will. There is a big difference between someone who votes with the Democratic Caucus 90% and someone who votes with the Democratic Caucus 0% of the time. But I digress.

Why is it really important for us to try and be “Democrats, actual Democrats, who stand for something other than being like the Republicans, but not?”

Because Democrats have been running ever-increasingly conservative candidates strictly on the social issues that divide Democrats. Because they’ve been supporting ever-increasingly conservative legislation on social issues that divide Democrats. And they’ve been losing.

The rational is that Tennessee is a “conservative” state. But whose definition of conservative are they using here? They’re using the extreme right-wing talk radio Conservative definition of conservative. And not only that, but they’re using the the extreme right-wing talk radio definition of the word and applying to every Tennessean instead of the 25-30% to whom it actually applies.

And, dude, let me tell ya, those twenty-five percenters ain’t never gonna vote for a candidate with a “D” beside their name anyhow. So what are you doing?

Tennessee is a populist state. Tennessee is a rational state. Tennessee has a centuries-old tradition of championing the rights of boot-strap pulling working people who want to earn an honest day’s pay and provide for their families. And if that isn’t enough, these hard-working people also want to lend a helping hand to their neighbor along the way. Tennesseans are a pro-family, responsible, freedom-loving people. They want things to be fair, equal, just and safe.

What part of that screams “conservative” to you?! Zero.

Progressives aren’t in the minority in Tennessee. Progressive values are the values that matter most to Tennesseans. Progressive priorities are the priorities of Tennesseans.

It’s funny to read the thread underneath the “Bart Gordon Resigns” post at Post Politics. Not funny “ha-ha” funny but funny as in the transparency of what certain “anonymous” commenters are trying to accomplish. “Blame the liberals! They wanted the blue dogs out!,” they’re yelling, as if, as Eleanor A. astutely observes, “EVERY candidate who hadn’t come out increasingly rightward on social issues – and who had nothing to offer on jobs, finances, education – hadn’t had his hat handed to him.”

Tennessee Republicans want nothing better than for Tennessee Democrats to continue to run to the right using the extremist positions on social issues. And they think they can bully us into doing so. Let’s hope not.

Summary: Featuring guests Betsy Phillips, producer of Tiny Cat Pants blog and contributor to the Nashville Scene’s Pith in the Wind blog and Karl Frisch of Media Matters for America.

This is Tennessee Jumping Up and Down and Yelling “Yoohoo!”, Part 1. News, to do, and why all the good people down in Tennessee need to start paying attention to state politics. [24.56MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20091207part1.mp3)

This is Tennessee Jumping Up and Down and Yelling “Yoohoo!”, Part 2 Why health care reform matters (we’re talking to you Limbaugh), we get on a motherf**king boat with Betsy Phillips, also known as Aunt B. of Tiny Cat Pants and Pith in the Wind (two blogs that most definitely DO pay attention to state politics), and the Media Matters for America Smackdown with Karl Frisch. [23.89MB download mp3]
Download audio file (liberadio20091207part2.mp3)

Photo(shop) Credit: Christian Grantham

From the Department of Wish I Had Written This, Aunt B alerts us to a Christmas miracle in Texas:

Let us recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:35-40:

“‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’”

And just to recap, for those of you less familiar with Jesus than, say, the people running charities that hand out presents at Christmas to underprivileged kids: Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus’ birthday, often by giving presents to people. Jesus was born in a barn and then his family had to sneak him out of the country and hide with him in Egypt because of the political situation in his own country.

That’s right. As a child, Jesus was taken by his parents into another country where he then resided under the radar of the authorities. If not technically an illegal immigrant, he was as close as you could come in that region 2,000 years ago.

So, it is that I must report that there were “charities” in Houston, including the Salvation Army and the Houston Fire Department, that weren’t give toys collected in their toy drives to children who aren’t legal residents of the United States.

But, in what I count as a Christmas Miracle, both the Salvation Army and the Houston Fire Department seem to have recently “clarified” their policy and children in the same circumstances as Jesus was will no longer be turned away.

Which is a nice thing, because Jesus is pretty clear at the end of Matthew 25 what happens to people who dick over people in precarious situations, and also pretty clear elsewhere about how he feels about people who dick over children.

Clear, yes, but not clear enough for some people.

I especially like the part that says, “I was sick and you looked after me…” Ahem.

By the way, have you ever wanted to send Aunt B somewhere on a slow boat? Well now here’s your chance (deadline 12/3).

Guest host Betsy Phillips, author of the blog Tiny Cat Pants, contributor to the Nashville Scene’s blog, Pith in the Wind, and upcoming guest blogger at Feministe joined me to talk about Governor Sanford’s sex life, being a Dem in TN, Robin Smith, Al Franken, and, along with our guest, Councillady Emily Evans, the controversial May Town plan for Bells Bend.

BlogTalkRadio launched in August 2006 and is a web-based social radio network which will enable Liberadio(!) to host a live, call-in talk show every weekday. Shows stream live directly from the Liberadio(!) Blog Talk Radio web page and, when finished, are archived automatically and made available at Liberadio.com, iTunes, and other RSS feed readers. More than 1.9 million listeners tuned into BlogTalkRadio in December.

“After every Monday morning show on WRVU, there is still so much to talk about,” says Liberadio(!) senior producer and co-host, Mary Mancini, “We look forward to continuing the conversation with our listeners and special guests every weekday.”

Liberadio(!) on BlogTalkRadio will debut Wednesday, July 1, with local election integrity activist Bernie Ellis, who was recently investigated for making “terrorist threats” by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation at the behest of the Secretary of State.

Upcoming guests also include P.J Tobia, a journalist based in Afghanistan and author of a blog at TrueSlant.com; Betsy Phillips, author of the blog Tiny Cat Pants, contributor to the Nashville Scene’s blog, Pith in the Wind, and upcoming guest blogger at Feministe; Nashville Metro Councillady Emily Evans; Teddy Bart, author and Beyond Reason host; Steve Scarborough, environmental activist and proprietor of RoaneViews.com; and Bob Moser, author of “Blue Dixie: Awakening The South’s Democratic Majority” and Editor of The Texas Observer.

The schedule is:

Wed, 7/1: Bernie Ellis
Thursday, 7/2: PJ Tobia
Friday, 7/3: The Gals About May Town with Betsy Phillips and Councillady Emily Evans
Tuesday, 7/7: Bob Moser, author of Blue Dixie: Awakening The South’s Democratic Majority
Wednesday, 7/8: TBA
Thursday, 7/9: Teddy Bart
Friday, July 10: Steve Scarborough of Roaneviews.com
Tuesday, July 14: TBD
Wednesday, July 15: Wednesday, July 15: Evonne Tisdale from the Center for Community Change; Robert Grant, Jr. of Second Chances, and Nell Levin with Tennessee Alliance for Progress

“Since the terrestrial radio landscape for commercial talk is almost all conservative all the time in our local market,” says producer and co-host, Freddie O’Connell. “It’s been important for us to embrace the Web and online media. This is just one more step in our “Screw You Guys, We’re Doing It Ourselves” business model.

To listen to the Liberadio(!) on BlogTalkRadio, go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/liberadio every Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 am (CT). To call-in and join the conversation, dial (347) 677-0660.

Since Mary Mancini & Freddie O’Connell began broadcasting together in 2004, they have been voted one of Nashville’s “Best Radio Personalities” in the Nashville Scene’s Best of Nashville Readers’ Poll three times. In April of this year, they were named to Talkers Magazine’s “Frontier Fifty,” a list of 50 talk radio acts that best represent “the important pioneering work taking place in the burgeoning world of internet talk media.” For more information, please contact us at feedback@liberadio.com or visit the website at www.liberadio.com.

But it doesn’t matter. The 287(g) program, designed as it is to remove illegal immigrants from our fair city, is racist. And it has to be in order for Nashvillians to know that it’s working. People in town feel anxious because there are all these new folks here, who don’t look like “us” and who don’t sound like “us” and who we suspect sneaked into the country. The person we imagine when we imagine an illegal immigrant is some Hispanic dude. So, in order for us to feel like Hall is doing his job, there needs to be fewer Hispanic dudes. Which means singling out Hispanic dudes because of their race and then subjecting them to different rules than everyone else.

That’s pretty much the textbook definition of racism–singling someone out because of his race and treating him differently than you treat everyone else.

B. was nervous, apparently, about accepting the invitation to write for the “mainstream media” but her final conclusion was that she wants to be heard.

Now, I don’t agree with everything she writes, but major kudos to the powers at Pith for recognizing an independent and unique voice that not only wants to be heard, but needs to be heard.