Summary: Featuring guests Reagan Farr, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Revenue and Andrew Hysell, director of the Campaign for Healthy Kids for Save the Children and Joan Randall, chair of the Tennessee Obesity Task Force..

Part 1: March 29, 2010 Bits and bobs of news from health care to buses, Mumpower to Haslam. Plus Al Gore gets it right, how much racism is part of the Anti-health insurance reform protests, and an interview with Commissioner Reagan Farr (he lets us call him “Commish”), of the Tennessee Department of Revenue [30.61MB download mp3]

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Part 2: March 29, 2010 In this hour we interview Andrew Hysell, director of the Campaign for Healthy Kids for Save the Children and Joan Randall, chair of the Tennessee Obesity Task Force. We also hear two long-time news reporters hold national Republicans leaders to account for their ridiculous posturing and rampant hypocrisy – finally! – and we hear two Democratic state legislators hold state Republican leaders to account for the same. Plus, what should government do? Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin) thinks it should abandon it’s most precious resource. But Rep Sherry Jones (D-Nashville) disagrees. [18.8MB download mp3]

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Lend a handThe argument at the center of almost every debate in the Tennessee legislature right now is the same argument happening all over America – do we want a government that does something or don’t we?

One absolute is that government is for the people. Another is that government is in place to protect resources. The most obvious are our natural resources – potential, actual, renewable, or non-renewable – like land, ground water, drinking water, mineral fuels, mountains, forests, wildlife, etc..

A less obvious resource – but the state’s most valuable – is its people. Happy, healthy, productive people make a happy, healthy, and productive state. And a happy, healthy, and productive state always lands in the top ten when statistically ranking important areas like education, health, wealth, and employability.

Investing in its people when they need it most is the smartest thing a government can do.

Right now, Tennesseans are suffering record unemployment and are finding it difficult to feed their families. If we – represented by our government – don’t do something during this difficult time it sends a signal to our most precious resource that they are expendable.

In the video of a legislative debate on HB3206 that would have ended unemployment benefits for Tennessee families with dependent children, Rep. Glen Casada (R-Franklin) sends that signal.

Rep. Sherry Jones (D-Nashville ) pushes back though, because she understands that giving Tennesseans a hand up right now is the best investment we can make.

Thank you, Rep. Jones, for realizing the worth of our people.

T/F/B: Tennessee Democratic Party

More from Aunt B., Southern Beale, Left Wing Cracker, KnoxViews, and Speak to Power.

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The AP’s Erik Schelzig highlights the hypocrisy that is the Tennessee Republican Party and – surprise, surprise! – his story involves the TNGOP’s number one legislative priority (jobs and good education for all Tennesseans, be damned!):

Supporters of blocking public access to the names and addresses of Tennesseans with handgun carry permits appear to have a hard time keeping their hands off the records.

An Associated Press records search has found copies of the state’s database of more than 257,000 handgun permit holders were recently requested by the National Rifle Association, the state Republican Party and a direct mail contractor that has done extensive work for the GOP’s legislative caucus.

Asked about those requests, House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada says he opposes using the database for political purposes like campaign fundraising or get out the vote efforts.

(Fist bump: The Scene’s loveable curmudgeon.)

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In an attempt to further their full court press against voting, voting rights, voters, and democracy, Tennessee’s Republicans – led by Rep. Gerald McCormick – are threatening to invoke the rarely used Rule 80, a move that would allow them to recall three bills that failed to make it out of the Elections subcommittee to this afternoon’s full House State & Local Government Committee.

Their decision, along with recently made comments about Tennessee General Assembly rules and the committee system certainly has been illuminating.

In a story by Andy Scher in the Chattanooga Free, Republican Rep. Glen Casada said, “Subcommittees are good, they just shouldn’t be the end-all, say-all. I hate for six members to decide public policy for 99.”

In another story in the Tennessean about Speaker Kent Williams performance this session, Republican Rep. Debra Maggart said she was disappointed that Williams did not choose to break a tie on the photo ID bill in committee because, she said, “The Republican Caucus needed his support on this bill.”

McCormick circumventing the committee process. Casada believing that public policy is decided for the benefit of House members. Maggart disappointed that the Republican Caucus didn’t get their way.

Where’s the discussion about what’s best for the people? Where’s the discussion about what’s best for voters? Where’s the discussion about what’s best for democracy?

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Summary: Guests include Alan Coverstone, Metro Nashville School Board Representative, District 9, and Dr. Heather Boushey, senior economist for the Center for American Progress.

Part 1 – Oh, Sean Penn…Really? – Oscar recap, Liberadio(!) dance party, to do List, a preview of Tuesday night’s State of the Union that isn’t a State of the Union, and take it from one commie, homo-lovin’, son-of-gun to another, Sean Penn’s acceptance speech will not move the dialogue on marriage equality in a good direction. [29.3 MB 18:16 download MP3]

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Independence Day – Martina McBride
Cannonball – The Breeders
Jai Ho! – A.R. Rahman, Sukhvinder Singh, Tanvi Shah & Mahalaxmi Iyer (Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack)
Lovely Day – Bill Withers

Part 2 – Interview with Alan Coverstone – Alan represents District 9 on the Metro Nashville Public School Board of Education. Generally, we ask him why our public schools aren’t yet palaces. More specifically, we ask about school choice, expanded options, the most recent (and controversial) student assignment plan, the new Director of Schools, tension within the system and pressure from outside sources, and what we can do to engage in the process of constantly improving our public schools. [39.8 MB 24:48 download MP3]

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Pure – Lightening Seeds
Step On – Happy Mondays

Part 3 – Don’t They Have Anything Better to Do? Do you mean to tell us that Tennessee’s General Assembly is completely in the hands of Republicans for the first time since Reconstruction and they have nothing better to do than introduce legislation that infringes on the reproductive health of women? Is that what Tennesseans voted for? Or did we want something to be done about our bottom-of-the-barrel health statistics? And if reducing the number of abortions is really a goal instead of political calculus, we all know there is a smarter way to go about it than their dog-and-pony show constitutional amendments. Let’s start by figuring out why we’re 20th in family planning public funding but 40th in births to teen mothers (ages 15-19). Seriously, do we need to have Sarah Palin come and talk to you people? [21 MB 13:05 download MP3]

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Brimful of Asha (Norman Cook Original Radio Edit Remix) – Cornershop (Norman Cook Mix)

Part 4 – Interview with Heather Boushey – Dr. Boushey doesn’t have a beard but she is a high-profile economist, which can only mean one thing – she’s a good-looking woman with a keen sense of history! She’s also a senior economist for Center for American Progress and she joins us to assess what it would mean for a red state like Tennessee to reject the economic stimulus cash, what Americans can expect from this bill, President Obama’s policy package designed to address America’s mortgage and foreclosure crisis, what’s expected in the budget, the coming $1 trillion deficit, and what the average American should do in this time of economic woe. [23.4MB 14:35 download MP3]

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Drivin’ Me Wild – Common w/ Lily Allen (Album: Finding Forever)

Part 5 – The Gang That Couldn’t Govern Straight – What does a U.S. Senator have in common with “The Rep” from Knoxville, Tennessee and Rep. Mike Turner’s BFF, Rep. Glen “Hollywood” Casada? Their ideas are so old and useless (Tax cuts? Really?) that all they have left is to demand that each one personally verify the authenticity of President Barack Obama’s birth certificate. And no, it doesn’t matter that it’s been verified and authenticated by several sources already – they’ll wait their turn. Plus, a delightfully cynical and myopic listener joins us to say that while she hates “both Democrats and Republicans” equally, we’re really pissing her off. [46MB 28:41 download MP3]

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See a Little Light – Bob Mould (Album: Workbook)

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Summary: Guests include Chip Forrester, newly elected chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party.

Part 1 – It’s all Fun and Games on Valentine’s Day Until Somebody Loses an Eye – This week’s Liberadio(!) “To Do” list – Stand For Schools Rally, The NAACP Centennial, Tennessee Equality Day on the Hill, and Charles Darwin’s Birthday – is supplemented by the Liberadio(!) “I Do” list. Don’t miss your chance to get hitched by John Arriola and the romantic County Clerk staff! Plus, one state Representative was for free and fair elections before he was against them, and a caller, who apparently just woke up out of an 8-year coma, accuses “liberals” of ignoring history. [36.9 MB 23:00 download MP3]

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Let’s Get it On – Marvin Gay
Love to Love You Baby – Donna Summer
Fever – Peggy Lee

Part 2 – Interview with Chip Forrester – Chip. The Chipster. Chipinator. He’s the newly minted chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party and he’s answering our questions about fundraising, reaching out to the old bulls, encouraging the grass roots, the 95-county strategy, welcoming new ideas, staffing decisions, the income tax, feeding the trolls, expanding the base, technology, and “I probably shouldn’t be telling you this but…”. [37.3 MB 23:15 download MP3]

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Je T’Aime Moi Non Plus – Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin

Part 3 – Affairs of the State and Affairs of the Heart. And never the ‘twain shall meet – unless Senator Stanley’s adoption bill passes (SB0078), in which case he goes to heaven while Tennessee’s parentless children languish. Plus, more comments on blog commentors and the world famous Dave Cloud is back to assure us that he’s not the Marquis de Sade. [44.8 MB 27:57 download MP3]

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Can’t Get Enough of Your Love Baby – Barry White

Part 4 – Bumpers Ugly – Councilman Eric Crafton has some explaining to do – have all his fundraising sources been disclosed? – and some realizations to come to – dude, you have a constituency, you know. Plus, should public policy be guided by religious faith and what the hell is a small d democrant? [46.7MB 29:07 download MP3]

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Theone – Lambchop (Album: How I Quite Smoking)

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