English-Only: Bad Policy, Worse Message

According to PostPolitics, the Tennessee Supreme Court today removed the last legal challenge to an English-only ballot measure in Metro Nashville. The state high court refused to grant an expedited hearing on an appeal of a lower court ruling that the referendum could go forward on January 22nd. If approved by Nashville voters, the English-only proposal would mandate the use of English in all official transactions of the city government. The proposed measure provides for a few exceptions but they seem murky and largely unworkable.

What a really bad idea. Not only would such a measure be very bad public policy, it would send an even worse message to the rest of the country (and the world) about the Music City's unwillingness to welcome non-English speaking tourists, foreign businesses and international conferences. 

As public policy, this measure could easily hamstring efforts by law enforcement to keep Nashville safe. Imagine a police officer, fluent in Spanish, who would now be unsure whether he could take the statement of an eye-witness to crime who happened also to be a Spanish speaker with limited command of English.  Imagine undercover law enforcement agents unable to obtain permission to conduct operations in any language other than English. 

For Nashville's large and growing foreign tourism and business investment sectors, the English-only law would have a chilling effect. Imagine city agencies charged with promoting Nashville to foreign tourists and business prospects not knowing for sure if they have to do so in English only. What do they say to prospective visitors and investors who ask about the meaning of this English-only nonsense?

Nashville is home to several internationally prestigious health care facilities and universities with global reputations for their cutting-edge research. How is Nashville supposed to bill itself as a potential host of international conferences for important world-wide health groups when we hang out the 'English-only' sign?  

Finally, we have to wonder what message passage of the English-only law would send to our children and students. Would they not naturally conclude that study of foreign languages is unnecessary and even undesirable? What a terrible lesson for the future leaders of our city as they prepare to take their rightful place in a highly complex and increasingly interconnected world.

The world becomes smaller every day. The citizens of Nashville cannot allow the world to believe that our minds here in Middle Tennessee are also getting smaller. Tennessee's capital city is large and diverse and plays an increasingly important role on the world stage.  Passage of the English-only initiative would be a big step backwards and an embarrassment to those who fight every day to make our city safer, more prosperous and culturally richer.

Those fighting to defeat the English-only referendum have launched a new website to stop this nonsense. It's called Nashville For All of Us. ElectBlue encourages all of our readers, Tennesseans and non-Tennesseans alike, to visit the website and offer help in whatever way you can.

Hank Williams Jr. Plans Run For US Senate

The last thing Tennessee needs.  Just when you thought things couldn't get worse.

From CMT News

Tough Times for Tennessee Democrats

While President-elect Barack Obama was leading the Democratic Party to sweeping victories in most of the country on November 4th, the oldest political party on earth was suffering crushing defeats in the Volunteer State. Not only did PE Obama underperform Sen. John Kerry's anemic 2004 numbers in Tennessee, the Democratic challenger (Bob Tuke) for the US Senate seat held by Republican Lamar Alexander was utterly humiliated in one of the worst thrashings a serious Democratic candidate for state-wide office has ever endured in the land of Andrew Jackson.

Even more devastating to Democrats in TN, the Republicans seized control of both houses of the state legislature for the first time since Reconstruction. The defeats suffered by Democrats spanned the state, with stunning losses in all three of Tennessee's historic "grand divisions" (East, Middle and West). With redistricting looming after the 2010 census, GOP control of the legislature most likely portends even more future electoral losses for Tennessee Democrats.

As a dyed-in-the-wool, double-dipped, true-believing, yellow-dog Democrat, it is very painful for me to admit this, but the magnitude of the catastrophe which befell the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) twelve days ago is nothing short of breathtaking. Much more hurtful is the realization that this need not have happened. Although Tennessee is deep in the Red Belt, Democrats can win in these states. TNDP officials' whining about Tennessee's strong Republican leanings and their gnashing of teeth about the steep demographic challenges we face won't cut it. 

Just look around at our neighboring states, every one of them as ruby-red as Tennessee. In KY, NC, VA, GA and even MS, Democrats ran credible state and local campaigns in 2008. Democratic candidates won US Senate and gubernatorial races in VA and NC, forced a run-off in the GA Senate contest and ran valiant state wide campaigns for the US Senate in KY and MS. Why couldn't Tennessee Democrats manage to do the same?

The sad, awful truth is that the TNDP has become the captive of an inept, corrupt, power-hungry network of good old boys determined to hold on to their idea of political relevance no matter what. Compounding their incompetence and greed, many of the leaders of the TNDP are in fact DINOs (Democrats In Name Only), fleeing in terror at any mention by the Republicans of hot-button issues like God, guns or gays. Many of these DINOs pay only lip-service to the national Democratic Party, it's leaders and its core beliefs. They've sold their souls to the Republican donors who largely fund their campaigns these days. A state political party that has lost its moral fiber is living on borrowed time.

On November 4th, time ran out and the "no matter what" happened.  The TNDP has been shown the door by the voters of Tennessee. As disheartening as election day was, this is no time for Tennessee Democrats to give up. Instead, it's time to start over. Tennessee Democrats should look at this electoral debacle as an opportunity for rebirth, re-commitment and a renewal of our moral courage. 

We can - and should - forgive the unhelpful, tepid endorsement of the Obama-Biden ticket by our sitting Democratic governor (Phil Bredesen) and a post-election cheap shot at progressive bloggers by the head of the TNDP (Gray Sasser). Even the TNDP's disgraceful persecution of a Democratic state senator (Rosalind Kurita), who dared defy the Party big-wigs, can be put behind us. Focusing on the sins of the past will not get us where we need to be. Let us just hope that they are lessons learned.

So, take heart. There are, indeed, some signs of hope. In the chaotic days since the election, it seems that all of the top officials of the TNDP have decided to resign in the near future. A good thing, that. Moreover, Tennessee Democrats are blessed with some leaders of real courage and conviction. US Representatives Jim Cooper and Steve Cohen come to mind. We also have two nationally prominent Democrats who can help lead their native state's party out of the wilderness: former Vice-President Al Gore and former US Representative Harold Ford, Jr., who now heads the Democratic Leadership Council. Both of these fine men can, and should, provide much-needed guidance to a state party that has lost its way -- and nearly everything else. 

With a new leadership team at the helm, a sincere outreach to all of the key Democratic constituencies (including progressive bloggers), a genuine effort to be inclusive and a complete break with the good old boy politics of the past, the TNDP can return to being the vibrant, competitive party it once was. Anything less, I fear, will only lead to decades more of disappointing Novembers for Tennessee Democrats. (See this related post.)

Check out these Tennessee Blogs for more on this topic:

PostPolitics

R. Neal

SeanBraisted

TinyCatPants

LeftWingCracker

SharonCobb

SouthernBeale

FreedomToSpeak

Newscoma

TennesseeGuerillaWomen

NashvilleScene

What I Did This Morning...

Early voting began today in Tennessee, so I hotfooted it to the local early voting precinct as soon as it opened (10am local time). I was astonished to find a long line of voters already waiting to cast their ballots. I waited in line for one hour and forty-two minutes to vote! Wow! If this is any indication, there will surely be a record turnout for this election.

Although I live in a very red state, and vote in a very, very red precinct, there was a lot of favorable (for Obama) chatter in the line about the state of the economy, the need for change and general dissatisfaction with the status quo. Since it is illegal in Tennessee to campaign at the polling place, the talk was subdued and words were chosen carefully. Nevertheless, there was a very encouraging mood in this long line of early voters. Even more impressive was the fact that not a single person grew impatient and left before getting a chance to vote. Everyone waited for her/his turn to cast a ballot.

When I left the polling place, the line of people waiting to vote stretched out of the building, down a long flight of stairs and onto the parking lot. Amazing!

ElectBlue Now Targeting Georgia Senate Race

We are pleased to add Georgia Democrat Jim Martin to our list of targeted US Senate candidates for this cycle. Martin is challenging incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss in the Peach State. Making economic issues the focal point of his campaign, Martin has surged in recent polls and now is tied with Chambliss in this critical race. Voter turnout and campaign funding will be crucial to a Martin victory.

A Democratic pick-up of the Georgia seat would be a huge step towards the sixty-seat Senate majority Dems need to prevent Republican obstruction of vital legislation in the next Congress. We urge out readers to support Jim Martin in whatever way they can. Note that we have added a direct link to the Martin Campaign website in the left margin of this page. Please click on it today to contribute to Jim's campaign.

Regrettably, we have removed Bob Tuke in Tennessee from our list of targeted candidates. Underfunded and lacking the support of a strong, united Democratic Party, the Tuke campaign has not gotten off the ground and appears to be only a pro forma effort. We still urge our Tennessee readers to vote for Tuke, a good and decent man, but we must advise Volunteer State Democrats that any financial contributions towards a sixty-seat Democratic majority in the US Senate would be better made to any one of the Democrats in hotly contested races in four states that border Tennessee: NC, GA, KY and MS.

Similarly, in spite of a valiant effort, Larry LaRocco's campaign for the US Senate appears to have hit a wall in rock-ribbed Republican Idaho. As we are doing in TN, we urge Idaho Democrats to vote for LaRocco, but suggest that contributions to Jeff Merkley's campaign in neighboring Oregon would better serve the goal of getting sixty Democrats in the Senate.

Whither Tennessee's Senate Race?

Maybe it's because pollsters and pundits have decided that Tennessee will be stained a deep red this political season.

Maybe it's because voters here are still fatigued from 2006's exhausting Senate race between Democrat Harold Ford Jr. and the ultimate victor, Republican Bob Corker.

Maybe it's because it's been a good year for the roses.

I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine.

Whatever the reason, something seems to have stymied a race that many viewed as a golden opportunity to unseat one of the biggest phonies to ever represent the Volunteer State, Republican U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander.

An extreme rightwing conservative who passes himself off as a populist moderate, Alexander enters this election season of "change" as a candidate who cannot escape his allegiance to a party that has shifted so hard to the right that Richard Nixon and Barry Goldwater would be considered liberals by its current standards.

He comes off like a kindly old grandfather, but like it or not, Alexander's folksy demeanor cannot hide the one thing his conservative backers treasure most: his voting record.

For example, in 2005 Alexander voted against a bill that would fund education and contraceptives to combat teen pregnancy. (Republican family values?)

A year later, he voted in favor of changing the Constitution to prevent same-sex marriage and to ban flag desecration. (Apparently, Alexander thinks he knows better than our nation's Fore Fathers what's best for our citizens.)

When it comes to education, Alexander is a man of the people, right?

Not so fast. Incredibly (or not), Alexander -- who was President George H.W. Bush's Secretary of Education -- earned an abysmal 27% rating from the National Education Association (NEA) in 2003, indicating a shameful anti-public education record. In the years that followed, he voted against investing in community learning centers; against $5 billion for grants to local educational agencies; and against redirecting $11 billion from corporate tax loopholes to education.

These are but a few of the truths that shatter Alexander's deceptive image as a middle-of-the-road moderate.

When is Democratic challenger Bob Tuke going to fully engage this George Bush-like impostor?

We can only hope it's sooner than later. Otherwise there won't be enough time to list the ways in which Alexander is out of step with Tennessee -- and the number of times he has voted against our interests.

John Brake is the former chairman of Tennessee's Williamson County Democratic Party. He is also a columnist for the Williamson Herald.

Al Gore Endorses Tuke in TN Senate Race

Former Vice-President Al Gore has strongly endorsed Bob Tuke, Democratic candidate for the US Senate seat from Tennessee currently held by Republican Lamar Alexander. In a statement posted on Tuke's website, Gore writes:

"I am pleased to endorse my friend, Bob Tuke, to be the next U.S. Senator from my home state of Tennessee. Bob's plans to immediately and aggressively produce alternative energy in Tennessee will help solve the climate crisis, clean our air, create new jobs, and relieve the heavy burden of energy prices across America. But Bob is more than a candidate with timely solutions to pressing problems facing our nation and our planet. He is also a man of great honor and integrity. Bob has the life experience that we need to turn our country around. As a Marine combat veteran in Vietnam, Bob led troops in battle. The U.S. Senate would be well served to have his perspective as we finally bring an end to the mismanaged war in Iraq. These are just a few of the reasons that I am proud to give him my full support and endorsement."

Hate Crime In Tennessee

For anyone who believes that racial hatred is a thing of the past. From Williamson County, Tennessee.

TN US Senate Candidate Mike Padgett's Blog

We are very pleased to post the following blog, sent exclusively to ElectBlue, by Mike Padgett, Democratic primary candidate for the US Senate from Tennessee. The seat is currently held Republican Lamar Alexander. Mr. Padgett writes:

"ElectBlue is right: Republicans are kidding themselves if they think Senator
Alexander’s seat is safe. Not as long as I am in the race.

You see, I bring a couple of key advantages to the table.

For one, I, unlike my Democratic opponents, was elected 7 times in overwhelmingly Republican Knox County. Couldn’t have done it without Republican votes. And I was a big factor in delivering Knox County for Governor Phil Bredesen both times he was elected – a Tennessee first.

So, I know how to win Democratic and Republican votes in East Tennessee, something no other Democrat in this race can offer. And it would be tough to defeat Senator Alexander without it.

Secondly, I am the only candidate in the Democratic Primary who has experience as a public servant. As Knox County clerk for two decades, I have a record as an innovative problem-solver, a public servant who listened to the practical problems of working-class citizens and provided real-time solutions.

Tennesseans have forgotten what it is like to have a U.S. senator who will fight for them and find answers for their problems. They can expect that from me. I have a track record to show for it.

I have already been to all 95 Tennessee counties, talking to farmers in the field, single moms standing at the gas pump, country lawyers and small-town bankers on the town squares. And none of them can recall a single thing Senator Alexander has done to help them or their families.

I plan on returning to every county in the general election campaign and letting
Tennesseans know that THEY come first with me – not the oil industry and the
wealthiest Americans, whose tax breaks Senator Alexander has jealously
guarded.

You know, Tennesseans aren’t stupid. They recognize that this election year is the first time in 6 years that Senator Alexander has talked about the energy crisis. They haven’t forgotten how he voted repeatedly to keep the minimum wage obscenely low. And they are well aware that he has supported President Bush at every turn in his disastrous presidency.

Senator Alexander a safe Republican seat? Don’t bet the farm on it."

- Mike Padgett

Democratic Candidate for US Senate

www.votepadgett.com

About ElectBlue

ElectBlue is dedicated to the promotion of progressive political ideas and candidates throughout the US. It is the creation of two long-time political activists, Bill Newsome and Stephen Moody, both of whom have considerable experience in various political activities. 

ElectBlue is privately owned and funded. We are not affiliated with any political party, political campaign or with any other organization. There are not now, and will never be, any commercial ads on the website. Monetary donations are not accepted.

In the 2009-2010 election cycle ElectBlue is focused on supporting the progressive policies of President Obama and increasing Democratic majorities in the US House and, particularly, in the US Senate.  We will also target certain state (especially Tennessee) and local (particularly Nashville) progressive candidates and issues as well as selected gubernatorial races. Our goal is simple: to create the best possible political environment for the enactment of progressive public policies.

In addition to Bill and Stephen, ElectBlue has three regular contributing bloggers: 

-  John Brake is the former chair of the Williamson County (TN) Democratic Party and a columnist for the Williamson Herald newspaper. 

-  LibraryPolitico is the nom-de-plume of a young Democratic Party activist who has held key leadership positions in numerous political campaigns. He has also worked on the staff of two sitting US Congressmen. 

-  TangledUpInBlue is the online pen name of another long-time progressive activist with a special interest in environmental issues. He is also a regular volunteer for local groups helping the less fortunate among us. He has been a frequent and reliable foot soldier in numerous political campaigns.

ElectBlue is also very fortunate to have Caleb R. Kenderdine on our team. He manages our MySpace and FaceBook accounts. As our youngest member, Caleb voted in his first presidential election ever this November. His talent, enthusiasm and can-do attitude are much appreciated.

ElectBlue will post, unedited and uncensored, blogs submitted by any candidate (or authorized representative) we are supporting in the current election cycle. We will also post, unedited and uncensored, blogs by selected advocates of progressive policies and referenda on public policy changes which we support or oppose (as the case may be). Candidates and other potential guest bloggers can contact us at ElectBlue@comcast.net.

All readers are invited to submit their comments on any blog by simply clicking on the 'comment' icon found at the end each post.