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<![CDATA[When TVA wanted to know whether it should finish a nuclear reactor north of Chattanooga, it hired the private company Bechtel to oversee a $20 million study. Based on that study, TVA decided to complete the reactor — and then contracted with Bechtel to do the job. Critics say Bechtel had a clear conflict of interest in doing the study and casting the project in a favorable light, knowing that it would be able to bid on the multibillion-dollar construction work to finish Watts Bar Unit 2. The question arises as TVA has renewed its pursuit to own more nuclear units, raising the ire of environmentalists and others who say the agency is setting itself up to waste ratepayers' money. The study itself has not been made public. TVA's directors would not comment, and the agency's chief ethics officer declined to talk about the accusations of conflict of interest. However, TVA spokesman Gil Francis said, "The fact that we awarded the contract to Bechtel is not a conflict of interest. We did a competitive bidding process that looked at the best engineering firms that are out there. We made sure all had the same information." Five companies, including Bechtel, were asked to submit bids. Two — Bechtel and Stone & Webster — responded. Bechtel was chosen six months ago as the major contractor for up to $1.1 billion of work to finish what's estimated as a $2.5 billion project. "You don't have as many companies out there with expertise anymore," Francis said. "If you exclude Bechtel, you're excluding the best company for the work." TVA Inspector General Richard Moore said he understood how someone might see the appearance of a conflict of interest but he didn't think there was one. "If TVA had excluded Bechtel, it would have essentially resulted in a sole-source contract," Moore said. "It is our understanding that both bidders were provided the same information on which to bid." The Tennessean asked that the entire study be made public under the federal Freedom of Information Act. TVA said Monday that it was still considering that request. Francis said the information in the study Bechtel conducted — also on a contractual basis — could not be released because it is largely proprietary and could shed light on business practices of contractors. He provided the newspaper with a 12-page summary of it. Stephen Smith, a longtime TVA watchdog, said the authority's ratepayers are losing. "Nobody's asking the tough questions about Watts Bar 2," said Smith, who is with the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy in Knoxville. Private utilities in many states have to go before state utility commissions, he said, and justify the need for building a new power plant, and the public can challenge them. "They let Bechtel build its own case and then enrich itself by basically doing the work," Smith said. "We've pretty much hitched our wagon to the nuclear industry that left TVA with a $20 billion debt before." Many projects scuttled TVA once had projects under way to build 17 new nuclear reactors but scuttled most when they proved too costly and unneeded — as protesters had argued when the units were approved. The agency was left with deep debt and rising rates. One of those units is Watts Bar 2, mothballed in 1985 after being more than half completed. About $1.7 billion has been spent on it, officials say. The romance with nuclear power waned countrywide, and so did the number of possible contractors. Today, the industry is getting a boost from a bevy of federal incentives to build nuclear plants, including tax credits, loan guarantees and risk protections that Congress approved in 2005. A Bechtel official had little to say about the conflict accusations: "This was a fair, competitive bid process, and we are honored to be selected by TVA for this historic assignment," Bechtel spokesman Francis Canavan said. But Michael Mariotte, executive director of the Nuclear Information and Resource Service, a nonprofit advocacy group in Maryland, said it would be far better to separate the study and building phases. "You do think you would try to find some company that has the nuclear expertise that would not be involved in the construction," he said. Nuclear power is favored TVA, the nation's largest public power provider, is self-financing and is an economic pillar of the state, offering reasonable rates when compared nationally. The agency creates the electricity sold via distributors, including Nashville Electric Service, throughout virtually all of Tennessee and parts of six adjacent states. Nuclear power is favored as an energy source in some quarters because it doesn't have smokestacks that emit pollutants that add to climate change. Over the last 14 years, demand for TVA's electricity has grown 2.4 percent, and the only answer is a coal or nuclear plant, Francis said. When the costs were compared, nuclear won out "because it was the safest, least costly, environmentally friendly option," he said. "We knew Bechtel would probably want to bid on the project," Francis said. TVA has specialized staff that analyzed the Bechtel information and stayed closely involved in the process, he said. The Tennessean sought to contact all seven sitting members of the nine-seat TVA board of directors, calling or e-mailing each of them. Only one replied. The messages left with the other six board members yielded only a return call from Francis, who said the board members declined to be interviewed. Director Skila Harris was the only one who took the newspaper's questions. She said the board looked at the contracts in both cases with care to make sure ratepayers would get the best deal and Bechtel wouldn't have an edge. "It's not as if those people who bid on that did not have an incentive to put together the best package at the lowest feasible price, given the scope of the work," said Harris, a native of Bowling Green, Ky. Mariotte said TVA might have a point about the number of companies available to bid. And he said a consultant might come up with the same information "but then you don't have the apparent appearance of a conflict," he said. "We're seeing with TVA that they really haven't done that initial work of what's the best way to get electricity to consumers. The cost estimates we're seeing for new nuclear plants now are rising stratospherically." Official defends TVA TVA's inspector general said he didn't have a problem with what the agency had done. Moore quoted federal acquisition regulations on conflict of interest, saying a level playing field is needed among bidders on a project. The U.S. Department of Energy has taken a somewhat different tack as it pushes to build at Nevada's Yucca Mountain, where the department proposes that nuclear plants send their highly radioactive waste for disposal. It announced this month that whatever company does the scoping, preparation and design work will not be allowed to bid on building it. Bechtel holds the current operations and management contract for the facility, which the Energy Department says it will rebid. Moore said he didn't know whether the Yucca Mountain and TVA situations were comparable. <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/NEWS0201/804290361/-1/news0207" rel="nofollow">http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080429/NEWS0201/804290361/-1/news0207</a>]]>

<![CDATA[The Tennessee Board of Pharmacy, charged with policing pharmacies across the state, has been ineffective in finding criminal wrongdoing and has failed to maintain an arms-length relationship with the industry it monitors, The Tennessean has found. Critics say the board's efforts to police the industry have been undercut by its lack of trained investigators and its failure to aggressively pursue complaints involving pharmacies. Take the case of Polly Davenport. She filed a complaint with the pharmacy board in 2003 against Nashville's Brooks Pharmacy — the drugstore where Williamson County Sheriff Ricky Headley and three others were recently charged with illegally obtaining addictive painkillers without a prescription. Pharmacist Glenn Brooks was charged with dispensing drugs without a prescription. Davenport, who claimed two of her relatives had been obtaining drugs illegally from Brooks for years, asked the state to investigate the pharmacist. ''I thought (if) my family is being affected by this, there had to be other people's families affected," Davenport told The Tennessean on Thursday. "I thought we don't need people dealing drugs, especially a respected member of the community.'' It took the board investigator nearly four months to look into her complaint. Less than three weeks later, the investigator closed his inquiry, noting in his half-page 2004 report that ''without more specific information it would be difficult to confirm the complaint.'' But Davenport said the investigator never contacted her. State records show she provided her name, address and phone number to the board. The investigator did not return a phone call by deadline on Saturday. Davenport said she received written acknowledgement of her complaint from the board but heard nothing else. Had the investigator contacted her, Davenport said she could have given information about the relatives she believed had been illegally buying painkillers and Valium from Brooks for more than a decade. The handling of the Davenport complaint raises questions about the board's commitment to investigating alleged illegal activity at pharmacies. The Tennessean uncovered other deficiencies at the pharmacy board that undermine its ability to ferret out problem pharmacists and keep prescription drugs from being illegally sold. Among the problems identified by The Tennessean: • The board has so few investigators inspecting pharmacists and their facilities it can only conduct brief inspections every two years. With only five investigators for 2,000 pharmacies, 8,000 pharmacists and 10,000 pharmacy technicians, there is little time to thoroughly investigate complaints or conduct audits of pharmacy records. • Board investigators, the first line of defense in identifying problems in the industry, are pharmacists with no specialized training in conducting investigations. Some have also moonlighted at pharmacies, although board officials maintain there are no conflicts of interest because investigators are not allowed to work for pharmacies they inspect. • Implementation of a state computer system to track prescriptions has lagged behind two dozen other states, some of which have had such a program for years. These computer systems are designed to cut down activities such as doctor shopping — going to several doctors and getting several prescriptions for narcotic drugs. But the computer system, which should be operational by this spring, will limit access by local law enforcement. That is not the case in many other states, experts say. • Federal oversight of pharmacies, a backup to state monitoring, is far from rigorous. While the federal Drug Enforcement Administration requires pharmacies to keep records of purchases, sales and inventories of potent narcotics, the agency rarely audits such records unless it receives complaints. • All but one pharmacy board member is a pharmacist licensed by the board. In addition, some board members must oversee current or former employers. The lone non-pharmacist member believes there should be at least one more consumer voice on the seven-member body. While hesitant to criticize fellow board members, Monica Franklin said she feels there should be a limit on the number of times a repeat offender can come before the board without having his or her license revoked. "I think my board members do a very good job, but I feel like there should be a little more input from the public," said Franklin, who joined the board in 2004. Referrals rare Terry Grinder, acting executive director of the pharmacy board for the past year, says his office, while stretched thin, gets the job done. Grinder, who also doubles as one of the board's five investigators, points to the more than 100 investigations it conducts each year as proof that the board is doing its duty. He said when his investigators suspect criminal activity they share information with police. But more times than not it is the police that identify criminal activity, not the board, board officials say. "Most of the criminal (cases) we get referred to us, versus us referring to them," Grinder said. Such spotty oversight of an industry responsible for the prescription-drug supply for Tennessee's nearly 6 million residents worries some, including Knox County prosecutor John Gill. With Tennessee having more prescriptions per person than any other state and with the growing illegal prescription-drug trade, an aggressive, well-staffed regulatory agency should be finding more cases, Gill said. In his years as a U.S. attorney and as a local prosecutor, Gill said, he has never seen a case referred from the pharmacy board. "I think it's very difficult for a volunteer board of a particular profession to effectively oversee those kind of things," said Gill, a special counsel with the Knox County district attorney's office, who also represented pharmacists before the board as a private attorney. "In the 1950s it would work fine, but 50 years later it's not kept up with the realities of the modern world." Stock of pills was huge Law-enforcement officials say Brooks, the recently arrested pharmacist, stocked unusually large quantities of frequently abused prescription pills, including the painkiller hydrocodone, also sold under the brand name Lortab. During a three-week period in November, according to Metro police, Brooks ordered at least 51,900 of them. In contrast, the average Walgreens pharmacy sells about 52,000 of the pills a year, according to corporate spokesman Michael Polzin. Attempts to reach Brooks since his arrest have been unsuccessful. Despite the 2003 complaint against Brooks of illegal pill sales and a 1982 case in which 70,000 painkillers, sleeping pills and other drugs were missing from his pharmacy, there is no indication board investigators paid particular attention to his drug purchases or made any special effort to review his records. Brooks had little trouble passing pharmacy board inspections over the past two decades, board records show. That, say those familiar with board inspections, is hardly surprising. The inspections, which occur on average once every two years, typically last less than two hours. In that time, board investigators must complete a wide-ranging series of tasks that include reviewing prescription logs, identifying expired drugs and looking for dust on pharmacy shelves. But investigators don't conduct time-consuming tasks like pill audits to determine if purchases, sales and inventory match — the very thing that would identify a pharmacy selling pills without a prescription. "The problem facing state boards is a lack of resources to conduct inspections and audits," said Carmen Catizone, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, an umbrella organization for state boards. "It is easy under the current system for pharmacists to violate the rules and escape detection." The problem of resources is highlighted in the Brooks case. Though a former board investigator, Charles Thomas Burton, was one of five people arrested, the board has no plans to review past investigations handled by Burton, who retired in 1998. Board officials say their record keeping won't allow them to do so. "I'm not sure it's possible to see what all he investigated because a lot of that was pre-computer," said Grinder. But even with computers, Grinder said he knows of no way to track cases by individual investigators. <a href="http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/NEWS02/103170002" rel="nofollow">http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/NEWS02/103170002</a> ]]>

<![CDATA[More than 60 home contractors who have repeatedly failed licensing tests continue to pour foundations, install drywall and wire electrical systems in Tennessee homes thanks to passes granted by a state oversight board. About a third of the test-flunkers who instead took job interview-like oral exams have histories that include complaints of poor workmanship, thousands of dollars in judgments against them or instances of working without a license, records show. The number of contractors seeking the licensing waivers jumped from one to 21 the year the written test became more difficult to cram for. Officials at the state Board for Licensing Contractors say tradesmen facing language barriers, dyslexia or other test-taking impairments need the oral interviews. But homebuyers and their advocates say the waivers shed light on a weak vetting process and a coziness between the construction industry and board members, nearly all of whom are builders themselves. Homeowner Scott Kuban was shocked to hear his contractor, whom Kuban successfully sued, later went on to receive a waiver after failing the test three times while trying to start a new company under a different company name. "When someone is a licensed contractor, I thought that meant something," said Kuban, of Ooltewah, Tenn., outside Chattanooga. "It definitely could be more stringent licensing. A lot of people buying their first home don't have money" to hire a lawyer and sue, he said. Licensing tests are meant to make contractors prove they know state law and regulations and can build safe homes. Builders must take the test if they want a new license, want to add a specialty to their repertoire or want to build bigger structures. But would-be contractors who fail the timed, computer-based exams three times can opt for a one-on-one meeting with a board member. The screening process is more like a job interview than a test, and interviewers don't ask test questions, said Carolyn Lazenby, board director. The interviews are not recorded. As a result of Tennessean inquiries and a change in state law that took effect July 1, the board staff will now review its oral exam policy, said Lazenby. "We've done things the same way forever and ever," Lazenby said. "It's something that we probably need to look at. Something they (the board) would be open to." Oral exam less stringent Contractors are more likely to get a license through an oral exam, where 62 of 64 licenses have been granted since 2004, than through the written test where just 39 percent of applicants pass the first time, a Tennessean review of state records found. As part of the application process, applicants are also asked to confess in sworn affidavits to the board any prior judgments, liens, felonies, bankruptcies or unlicensed contracting work they've done. Though the staff checks on tips of impropriety, they do not investigate would-be contractors before allowing licenses for those who've failed the test, Lazenby said. Contractors with black marks on their records include: • Ahmad Abulaban, a Murfreesboro homebuilder, received a waiver 17 days after the board staff wrote him a $1,000 citation for building without a license. Abulaban, of M&A Builders, said he built and sold the home to his cousin. He declined to comment further when interviewed Friday. Lazenby said the paperwork got crossed in the mail, and the board is now reviewing Abulaban's application to see whether he also failed to disclose to the state that he had operated without a license. • Christopher Price, a Lebanon-based contractor, received a waiver in March 2005. Now he faces a pending complaint and a court case accusing his company, Price Builders, of poor workmanship on an unfinished project. Price declined to comment. • The owners of Supreme Country Builders in Knoxville had several judgments totaling at least $8,000 against another company they owned when they were granted a license despite failing the exam. The owners could not be reached for comment. Nashville lawyer Jean Harrison, who represents homeowners, bristled at the idea of the oral exams. Both she and Lazenby said that many contractors attend "cram schools," where they are essentially given test answers to memorize. In 2005, the board hired a new company to administer a new test. The change has driven more contractors to take the oral exams. That could mean more work for Harrison, the lawyer. "If you are not capable of passing an exam, I'm a little disturbed they're willing to issue a waiver," Harrison said. <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/NEWS0201/103170001" rel="nofollow">http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080310/NEWS0201/103170001</a>]]>

<![CDATA[WASHINGTON — A new war spending bill proposed by House Democrats would prohibit using U.S. aid to rebuild towns or equip security forces in Iraq unless Baghdad matches every dollar spent, lawmakers said Tuesday. The $195 billion measure, to be voted on as early as Thursday, would fulfill President Bush's demands for military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan until the next president can set his or her own policy next spring. Lacking the votes to force troops home as they would like, Democrats are using the bill instead to assert to voters that the war is to blame for the nation's economic woes. In addition to restricting U.S. aid, the bill would require Bush to negotiate an agreement with Baghdad to subsidize the U.S. military's fuel costs so troops operating in Iraq aren't paying any more than Iraqi citizens. A recent Associated Press report revealed that troops are paying the market average of $3.23 a gallon for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, while Baghdad subsidies put domestic consumption inside the country at about $1.36 a gallon. Meanwhile, Iraq is expected to reap about $70 billion in oil revenues because of record-high fuel prices. "In effect, (the bill) says they have to come up with the money like we did," said Rep. John Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee. The Pennsylvania Democrat said, "The public has lost confidence" that the U.S. government is committed to forcing Iraq to take responsibility for its own security and reconstruction. Barring any unexpected developments, the bill would bring the amount approved by Congress since Sept. 11, 2001, to fight terrorism and conduct the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to about $875 billion. <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS08/805070459/1025" rel="nofollow">http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080507/NEWS08/805070459/1025</a>]]>

<![CDATA[Senate Republicans deferred creating more scholarships Wednesday in favor of allocating $100 million in lottery funds for "green" schools. The energy bill, sponsored by Oak Ridge Republican Sen. Randy McNally, passed 18-13 with all 16 Senate Republicans voting for it. Supporters said energy-saving initiatives could save K-12 schools $29 million annually. The bill is one of the most expensive proposals that would spend lottery funds. The vote signaled that Republicans consider it their closest shot to get their requested $100 million for bricks-and-mortar improvements to K-12 schools. "This is a program that can provide some measured relief to the local schools across Tennessee, and provide it in a manner that we also are able to get the dividends from saving energy and for doing the right thing for our environment," McNally said. The bill would set up a council to determine the distribution of the funds, which would come in grants and loans. Senate Democrats questioned using the funds for K-12 schools instead of funding more scholarships — a bill that was sent back to committee Wednesday. Under a state constitutional amendment, excess lottery funds can be used for K-12 construction. Sen. Steve Roller, a McMinnville Democrat, said he supported the spirit of the bill but thought resources should be spent directly on education. "We don't have any schools in my district that don't have the lights on right now, but I have a lot of students out there for whom $4,000 makes a difference," Roller said. Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Rosalind Kurita of Clarksville was the only Democrat to vote for the bill. Democrats Sen. Douglas Henry of Nashville and Sen. Doug Jackson of Dickson were present but didn't vote. Mike Williams, the Senate's lone independent, voted for the bill. HOPE has supporters Paul Carter, who lives in Pleasant View and in Sen. Kurita's district, said he is "100 percent against" spending the funds on anything other than more scholarships. "They need to build for the future of the state and have a better-educated workforce," said Carter, whose granddaughter attends UT-Knoxville on a state HOPE scholarship. K-12 school advocates praised the energy efficiency legislation, even though many of the same advocates had pushed for $25 million in pre-K expansion — which could have come from excess lottery funds. Gov. Phil Bredesen eventually cut that plan from the proposed budget because of the state's $468 million revenue shortfall. "Given the fiscal situation and lots of competition for lottery dollars, we're thrilled to see any lottery money to be spent on K-12 education," said Andy Spears, director of policy and outreach for Stand for Children, a K-12 advocacy group. Sumner County Schools spokesman Jeremy Johnson said the bill could assist in the district's planned expansion that includes three new middle schools and seven new elementary schools. All of the new schools are slated to use geothermal energy. "Any possible help with funding would be fantastic for a growing district like ours," Johnson said. Juniors need 3.0 GPA Republicans also notched a victory on lottery scholarships Wednesday, passing an amendment that would extend the minimum 2.75 grade point average necessary to retain the HOPE scholarship through a student's sophomore year. Students would then have to earn a cumulative 3.0 by the end of their junior year. Democrats had wanted to extend the 2.75 requirement through a student's entire college career. "You've got to make a decision for yourself: Do you want to fund these scholarships to (lower the GPA to) 2.75 for everyone, or is it more important that we spend those funds on sunscreen, on fluorescent light bulbs, caulk?" asked Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis. The lottery scholarship proposal was sent back to the Senate Finance Committee after Shelbyville Republican Sen. Jim Tracy passed an amendment creating scholarships for medical students willing to work in rural areas. Despite opposition from Senate Democrats, their House counterparts may help pass the energy efficiency bill. Huntsville Democrat Rep. Les Winningham is the bill's main sponsor in the House, and he has nine Democrat co-sponsors. <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS02/805150379/1009/NEWS02" rel="nofollow">http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS02/805150379/1009/NEWS02</a> ]]>

<![CDATA[State lawmakers fought Wednesday to save a $15 million tax break for family businesses, but the cost could be hundreds of state jobs. Tennessee is already preparing to offer voluntary buyouts to 2,000 state employees, in a move that could trim $63 million from the budget. It would need to eliminate another 500 jobs to save $15 million more. State House Majority Leader Gary Odom led the charge to save the tax breaks, arguing that they benefit thousands of small family businesses. The state could make up the difference simply by not filling some of the thousands of state jobs that are currently vacant, he said. "I'm concerned that they didn't have a clue who's affected by this," said Odom, a Nashville Democrat, speaking of the proposed closing of the tax loophole. An estimated 8,600 businesses benefit from the tax break, which is aimed at family businesses that collect commercial rent. Meanwhile, the state has 4,100 unfilled vacancies in its work force. The state budget is millions of dollars in the red and lawmakers are rushing to balance the books before the end of the week, when the legislative term is scheduled to end. State Revenue Commissioner Reagan Farr told lawmakers that the loophole gave wealthy families an unfair competitive advantage. Under current law, two brothers who buy a downtown property and rent it out could be exempt from franchise and excise taxes, while a neighbor would not, simply because the neighbor was not a family-owned business. Now that the legislature has preserved the loophole, "the question now is, how you will pay for it?" Farr said. <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS0201/805150380" rel="nofollow">http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS0201/805150380</a> ]]>

<![CDATA[NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Tennessee superdelegate Vicki Harwell has decided to endorse Hillary Clinton's bid for the Democratic nomination for president. Harwell, the 51-year-old president of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women, says in a statement that Clinton's overwhelming win in West Virginia shows she is the best candidate to take on Republican nominee John McCain in November. Harwell is the sixth Tennessee superdelegate to endorse Clinton, while four have endorsed Barack Obama. Seven Tennessee superdelegates remain uncommitted, including former Vice President Al Gore and Gov. Phil Bredesen. Clinton won Tennessee's primary in February with 54 percent of the vote. <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS0206/80515012/1009/NEWS02&GID=XxjDzd+oJt//jxWKYMCFTwrrN76EaMHQVOgBEX0gYfs%3D" rel="nofollow">http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080515/NEWS0206/80515012/1009/NEWS02&GID=XxjDzd+oJt//jxWKYMCFTwrrN76EaMHQVOgBEX0gYfs%3D</a> ]]>

<![CDATA[chief halford is currently taking men that have been on the department, some for 3 years, some for 10 years, and rolling them back to the ambulance in order to get the new recruits in the fire academy on the streets. these new recruits obviuously have politics, or they wouldnt have gotten hired. this boils down to politics and how corrupt they are. how can you take a 10 year man , and replace his training, experience, and seniority with a man that has only been on the department for a month, and in that month was only in the training academy, not even fighting fires or on the streets working? these new recruits are not even civil service status yet, but chief halford wants the civil service status employees to get bumped out of their positions in order to keep these politcians with children and grandchildren in this class happy. this is the most unfair employer practice i have ever seen and i hope the right person reads this and can either do something, or recommend something we can do to stop it. just because there are politicians kids and grandkids in this recruit class, does not mean we should jeopardize the safety of nashville and its citizens by taking the experience and training (the experience and training that davidson county residents paid for us to get) and throw it away for someone who has no time on the department. this is the most corrupt thing i have ever seen and nashville fire department moral is at an all time low. please contact your councilman and inform them of this practice and how it is unfair, and you think you tax money is being mismanaged by chief halford. let me ask this final question. who do you want coming to your house or cutting you out of your car? a man that has been on for a little over a month whose grandad is a politician, or someone who has been on ten years, with skills, training, and experience? thanks for reading this and please contact your council person and advise them that this is corrupt and this is something that jeopardizes public safety and that they should not let chief halfords plan pass in the budget hearings. thanks again there is way more to this story, i just dont have the time to tell it all. any questions mail me back and i will promptly answer. ]]>

<![CDATA[ he ordered missiles to be shot into the desert up a camels butt. who cares? But what is interesting is that he did it on the day Monica was to testify. ironic huh?]]>

<![CDATA[The Clinton administration launched cruise-missile strikes against al Qaeda targets in Afghanistan and Sudan (Osama bin Laden's headquarters from 1992-96), including the al Shifa plant. The missile strikes came 13 days after bombings at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania ]]>

<![CDATA[Government data on debt and the GDP can be found at: <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/pdf/hist.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2006/pdf/hist.pdf</a> Summary Graph: <a href="http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm#_ftn2" rel="nofollow">http://www.cedarcomm.com/~stevelm1/usdebt.htm#_ftn2</a>]]>

<![CDATA[NAFTA was initially pursued by politicians in the United States and Canada supportive of free trade, led by Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, U.S. President George H. W. Bush, and the Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari. Since the agreement had been signed by Bush under his fast-track prerogative, Clinton did not alter the original agreement, but complemented it with the aforementioned NAAEC and NAALC. After intense political debate and the negotiation of these side agreements, the U.S. House of Representatives passed NAFTA on November 17, 1993, by 234-200 vote (132 Republicans and 102 Democrats voting in favor; 43 Republicans, 156 Democrats, and 1 independent against),[7] and the U.S. Senate passed it on the last day of its 1993 session, November 20, 1993, by 61-38 vote (34 Republicans and 27 Democrats voting in favor; 10 Republicans and 28 Democrats against, with 1 Democrat opponent not voting -- Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), an ardent foe of NAFTA, missed the vote because of an illness in his family).[8] ]]>

<![CDATA[The reason everything seems so crazy nowadays with no clear solution is because we as a nation have not followed the advice of the Founding Fathers or the Constitution they drafted that established this great country. Governments have committed the worst crimes known to man in the name of security, do not be fooled again and again. That is why the limited government concept was so revolutionary in this planet but unfortunately also marked the U.S. as a target for the leftist powers. Remember, we have our elected officials and military personnel swear an oath to this document, yet most of us Americans have not read it since high school, and is constantly ignored and violated without an uproar from the People. Read the Constitution TODAY, google it. Know your rights. Reacquaint you and your family with the vision of the Founding Fathers, and where America came from. Most people are wary of these "Ron Paul supporters". Do not be confused my fellow Americans, these men and women are not obsessed with merely a man. It is the powerful message he brings that is the obsession. It is the same message we should have known like the backs of our hands, and that is the Founding Fathers' advice and the Constitution, the Supreme Law of the Land. He just happens to the guy in our day and age talking about the Constitution with the voting record to back it up. Vote Freedom, Vote the Constitution, whether it's a different 3rd party candidate, do the research yourself. Do not allow them to make you feel like there's nothing we can do. Do not roll over and say "it's going to happen anyway". Do not look at the truth and ignore it any longer. See for yourself! <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA" rel="nofollow">http://youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA</a> The only way to lead, is peacefully and by example. Not with the barrel of a gun. Remember the "golden rule". You don't have to be Christian to believe in this or the Constitution. ]]>

<![CDATA[ONLY "ONE" PERSON IS BRAVELY AND LOUDLY RINGING THE LIBERTY BELL ALARM! DONT BE FOOLED ANY LONGER. IT IS TIME TO STAND UNITED TOGETHER AND BE A PART OF THE REVOLUTION TO SAVE OUR COUNTRY AND CIVIL AND PERSONAL LIBERTIES. WELCOME NEW HOPE FOR AMERICA; A STRICT CONSTITUTIONALIST, AN AMERICAN HERO, A NATIONAL TREASURE, A LADDER-DAY PROPHET, PRESIDENT. ONLY "ONE CANDIDATE HAS THE COURAGE TO STAND UP AND TELL THE WORLD THE TRUTH ON EVERY IMPORTANT ISSUE FACING US TODAY. ONLY "ONE" CANDIDATE IS TIRELESSLY FIGHTING TO SAVE THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; THE HIGHEST LAW WHICH PROTECTS US ALL. ONLY "ONE" CANDIDATE HAS WON EVERY DEBATE IN EVERY STATE, BUT THE NEWS MEDIA REPORTS "ONE" CANDIDATE AS TRAILING BEHIND. WHY? BECAUSE BIG BUSINESS GOVERNMENT CONTROLS THE NEWS MEDIA AND THEY DO NOT WANT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO "KNOW" THE "TRUTH"! THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO "HAVE" A "CHOICE"! THEY DO NOT WANT YOU TO "THINK" TOO MUCH! THEY DO NOT YOU TO BE "FREE" NOR "INDIVIDUAL"! THERE IS ONLY "ONE" PERSON STANDING BETWWEN US AND THEM! THERE IS ONLY "ONE" PERSON LOUDLY RINGING THE LIBERTY BELL ALARM! THERE IS ONLY "ONE" LEGAL DOCUMENT PROTECTING US FROM THEM; THE CONSTITUTION. YES, THE CONSTITUTION. THE CONSTITUTION WAS WRITTEN TO RESTRAIN THE GOVERNMENT, NEVER TO RESTRAIN THE PEOPLE. DONT BE FOOLED ANY LONGER. "THINK". FREEDOM IS A POWERFUL MESSAGE. ROCK THE VOTE! JOIN THE REVOLUTION! <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA&feature=related" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG2PUZoukfA&feature=related</a> PASS IT ON! ]]>

<![CDATA[Clinton would have needed a 9-11 to go after Bin Laden. Bush didn't even try before the attacks. He had all the same warnings and information as Clinton, just no 9-11 or "Pearl Harbor". Now we are in Iraq, which is what BOTH presidents wanted in the first place. That 9-11 sure came in handy, didn't it?]]>

<![CDATA[Anyone who is educated knows this.....McCain can't really make up his mind on what he believes in.... McCain could think of switching parties again...once elected.....since he was thinking of switching parties within the past four years....what would stop him.....?????? I can't believe these white supremicist republicans would actually vote for that guy..... As long as there is a dream ticket ....its no way in hell they lose to grandpa mccain (he looks like he should be on a fiber commercial)........]]>

<![CDATA[ <a href="http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mcauliffe-says-media-in-the-tank-for-obama-2008-05-13.html" rel="nofollow">http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mcauliffe-says-media-in-the-tank-for-obama-2008-05-13.html</a> McAuliffe says media ‘in the tank’ for Obama Terry McAuliffe, campaign chairman for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), said Tuesday that the former first lady is hamstrung by a biased media. “Clearly it has been a biased media, no question about it,” McAuliffe said on Fox News. When asked how much of the mainstream media is “in the tank” for Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), who leads Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination, McAuliffe estimated that about 90 percent of the media favor Obama. “It is what it is. We’re not complaining,” he stated. “We have to deal with the hand we’re dealt with.” McAuliffe added that “every independent study has said that this is the most biased coverage they’ve ever seen in a presidential campaign.” He also praised Fox News, which is often viewed as a conservative media outlet, as “one of the most responsible in this presidential campaign.” ]]>

<![CDATA[Your little make believe, democrat enhanced chart aside, the Clintons have crippled our economy. Ever heard of the holy grail of the Clinton admin? It was a little thing called NAFTA. It is now NOT ONLY ruining our economy, but one of the overwhelming factors in the current immigration crisis. I guess out sourcing all those jobs backfired huh? Reagan was a bad president now? PLEASE. CLinton cut our military in half, shut down and destroyed the bases, let Osama go when offered him on a platter, didn't chase him down after the 90's attempt on the world trade centers, and decimated our future economy with NAFTA.]]>

<![CDATA[Fact: Ronald Regan was an Actor (literally) Fact: The deficit tripled under his presidency Fact: Republicans have completely mismanaged the national defense and economy. While these graphs don't go back to Regan... you get the point.]]>

<![CDATA[In a sharp reversal of its longstanding accusations against Iran arming militants in Iraq , the US military has made an unprecedented albeit quiet confession: the weapons they had recently found in Iraq were not made in Iran at all. According to a report by the LA Times correspondent Tina Susman in Baghdad: “A plan to show some alleged Iranian-supplied explosives to journalists last week in Karbala and then destroy them was canceled after the United States realized none of them was from Iran. A U.S. military spokesman attributed the confusion to a misunderstanding that emerged after an Iraqi Army general in Karbala erroneously reported the items were of Iranian origin. When U.S. explosives experts went to investigate, they discovered they were not Iranian after all.” The US , which until two weeks ago had never provided any proof for its allegations, finally handed over its “evidence” of the Iranian origin of these weapons to the Iraqi government. Last week, an Iraqi delegation to Iran presented the US “evidence” to Iranian officials. According to Al-Abadi, a parliament member from the ruling United Iraqi Alliance who was on the delegation, the Iranian officials totally refuted “training, financing and arming” militant groups in Iraq . Consequently the Iraqi government announced that there is no hard evidence against Iran. In another extraordinary event this week, the US spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, for the first time did not blame Iran for the violence in Iraq and in fact did not make any reference to Iran at all in his introductory remarks to the world media on Wednesday when he described the large arsenal of weapons found by Iraqi forces in Karbala. In contrast, the Pentagon in August 2007 admitted that it had lost track of a third of the weapons distributed to the Iraqi security forces in 2004/2005. The 190,000 assault rifles and pistols roam free in Iraqi streets today.]]>

<![CDATA[Lets not forget how McCain was the victim of attacks from his own party in 2000. Remember the black child he was said to have fathered? McCain cannot risk being a hypocrite, can he? Karl Rove is going to have his work cut out for him this year. If the Republicans want to dish it out, they will be countered at every turn. They only know fear tactics.]]>

<![CDATA[Let us not forget that Reagan too was a party hopper. He realized that those "nose-in-the-air republicans" represented his values and common sense approach. Would you say he was a bad president? Now, don't get me wrong.....McCain is no Reagan. Any chance of another Reagan admin dropped out in Feb (maybe march?) Anyways.....we nose-in-the-air republicans have done a much better job of coming in and cleaning up after you liberal dems than you guys have made making a mess out of our economy and defense.]]>

<![CDATA[Everything has come put about Obama that can come out? Hahahaha no I bet not. And the dems are saving the big guns for McCain? No, their using them now to meet their own selfish ends, and they are destroying their party and any chance of winning in the process. Just shows how selfish they really are. The democratic race has become nothing but a huge ego trip, 10th grade homecoming popularity contest. It's not about records, experiance, or qualifications. Instead, it's about youth and sitting down to a nice round table meal with terrorists. You people need to take a history lesson. This country was founded on conservative values. Not only that, but the very fact that, yeah, you try diplomacy first, and then if that doesn't work, you protect yourself and ask questions later. I am a conservative. Yes, I tend to be a republican, but that is because no other party offers views that i agree with. I know that I will vote for the best person for the job, no matter skin color, gender, or party affiliations. Truth be told, I don't even like McCain. I would have preferred Thompson, but he just wasn't commercial enough to flip flop like ALL the other candidates and sell his soul and good name to the media. The fact is, the republicans know which way this country MUST go,and we are all aligning behind our candidate, just like the former candidates, instead of tearing him down, just like, excuse the repetitive nature, the democratic party, who has become a bunch of squabbling rumor spreading pre-pubescent girls. It's sad that these are the three that our country has decided to represent them in all things. I'll leave you with a lovely quote from Mitt Romney, who, while i don't like him, makes a very funny, yet valid, point. "I really love listening to the Obama and Clinton 3 am ads. Because, listening to Obama and Clinton argue over national defense policy is like listening to two chihuahuas argue over who is the bigger dog!" - Mitt Romney]]>

<![CDATA[On May 12th, I attended my daughter's choir recital at East Hickman High School. Before the concert, a group of students called the "High Flying Eagles" led by Peggy McClellan and David Renberg, performed a play entitled "The Runaways", a story about runaway slaves in the time of the revolutionary war. I was horrified when one of the characters conjectured that the family of slaves had "probably escaped from some terrible place down south". Am I missing something here? Are we to believe that slave owners in the north were kind and gentle to the people they bought and sold like cattle? Legalized slavery was par for the course in America long before the south's bid for independence, and yet, here we are again being bashed in the head with the notion that all southerners were slave owning bigots. Isn't there a law in this country against hate speech? Of course, in this day and age, the same rights don't apply to everyone. Just ask Mrs. McClellan and Mr. Renberg. I urge everyone in our great county who reads this to call the board of education and demand that our children be taught the truth, not a whitewashed version of history taught by hateful people who simply parrot back false information they've heard through the mainstream media. Our children deserve better than to be brainwashed with this ignorant nonsense. Hickman County Board of Education (931) 729-3391 email: info@hickman.k12tn.net]]>

<![CDATA[Have any of you nose in the air republicans failed to realize that your own candidate was torn between parties not even four years ago...?????? Wake up......Democrats are saving their guns as well they should......everything that can come out on Obama has....and believe me November is long enough for everyone to forget.... I commend the Democrats on saving their attacks for the general election, as they will be so much more effective....they are going to show all of you hate monger scare monger republicans that you can't even trust your own candidate... Wake up.......you guys should have got Huckabee in there.....]]>

<![CDATA[woe to the far left, for you reap what you sow...]]>

<![CDATA[ Your rant pretty much summed it up. One thing you forgot to add was that all these liberals WANT to vote for obama out of WHITE GUILT. Liberals are stupid. What white man alive today had anything to do with slavery? And besides, do you think obama will end affirmative action if he became the president? After all, if a colored gets the highest office in the land, that shows me that white America is no longer racist. Blacks, on the other hand are still the most racist people in America, including obama! And need I mention, they're all democrats? And whats more, liberals can never answer the simple question of, what has hussein obama ever done? So, he ran UNOPPOSED in Illinois less than four years ago. And he's spent most of that time running for president! In summation, I flagged your post - BEST OF! Keep up the good work fellow patriots. ]]>

<![CDATA[ That's so funny. People speaking out against Obama is hype? Obama is nothing BUT hype. His whole campaign is nothing but hype. Do you people even know anything about the man. Oh, he overcame adversity! No he didn't. Don't even pull the race card. I'm sure the african american people still face discrimination from those radical bigots left in society, but let's get real. We all know that our pop culture is based on african american culture now, our society oozes with it. Obama is change! Where? Where is he different from any other candidate? In the hundreds of thousands of dollars he has taken from not only Nuclear companies who are attempting to steal from the American people, or maybe from the $600,000 he took from an Anti-Semite group. (That information came from and African American political institute). Or maybe it is the fact that he wants to negotiate with peoples who would rather shoot him dead across the table, along with his wife and daughters, than create this idyllic peace the Obama prostrates himself to. He is no different than any other politician, and like the rest, he is full of crap. He is a liar, a racist, and an elitist, and is disgraceful that the American public has become so ignorant as to support someone like him. He is nothing but a big MTV/ CNN liberal media circus, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. He has done nothing to merit becoming the most powerful and important man in the world, and frankly, he is not an eigth of the man George W. Bush is. Years from now, you people will look back and recognize that Bush is one of the best Presidents we have ever had. And then you'll be able to look back and realize that alot the of the crap we are in now is because of Dems, especially the Clinton Administration.]]>

<![CDATA[SUPPORT LIFE, LIBERTY, FREEDOM. SUPPORT THE TRUTH <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFfdB5OzlyQ&feature=related" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFfdB5OzlyQ&feature=related</a> PASS IT ON.]]>

<![CDATA[I know it is extremely difficult to listen to adult people hiss and snipe in a manner befitting ill-raised children, but we have no choice. This country was built on the right to speak your mind. Hooray to those exercising their American priviliges (as all of us should be doing). We have withstood eight years of an un-constitutionally-grounded leader who practices torture, treason, bald-faced lies, mistreatment of troops, and who will likely be brought up on war crimes charges abroad. We will deal with this Bush regime at a later date. Right now, it is important we stay focused on getting Barack Obama into the White House through our freedom of speech, our diligence, and our donations. Of course Obama detractors will hype Hillary as the true Democratic nominee. They know she is eminently more beatable by McCain. Don't lose focus. Don't believe the hype.]]>

<![CDATA[ Wow! all these frustrated democrats posting their angst on the anti-osama petition! Great! Let me be the first to say, "Congratulations, President McCain!" ]]>

<![CDATA[ Hillary is winning the popular vote if you count Michigan and Florida. But the democrats are trying to deny poor Hillary those votes! Why? hussein obama is being given the nomination! Affirmative action has gone too far!]]>

<![CDATA[site and sign the petition to show our party we will not support him in a general election its www.thepetitionsite.com/1/pledge-to-vote-against-obama-in-the-general-election thank you]]>

<![CDATA[i dont support bush jr., clinton, mrs clinton, obama, or mccain. i will not vote for a black man or a woman in office. i dont think we need that kind of pull for black rights or woman rights. our white males do enough for blacks and woman. you know they will support there own causes and forget about the rest of americans as a whole. they will rally for better jobs for minorities and nothing said or done that will include everyone. i am not racest, i am not white, but i am an american. i dont like seeing obama not soluting the flag, not wearing american flag pins, and not showing pride in his country. if hillery was truely a strong woman she would not be with bill clinton after his cigar tricks. i dont like mccain either but he is the only one that served our country in an honerable way. ]]>

<![CDATA[is unpatriotic.]]>

<![CDATA[You are correct. Both of them and McCain are NWO agents. Don't pay attention to these clowns who follow the set-up process. I would even go as far as suggesting to move out of the country and leave them to their demise. Ignorance has more than hindered these so-called "educated" people. Clear all your debt and dip out. Even Obama's foriegn policy advisor predicted what would happen back in the 70s with the book he wrote. It's been a set-up for sometime now, but too many people are caught up in the life that they think is theirs. And notice how the person who responded to you felt the need to attack you, from their own ignorance. And you did use "their" correctly, as they are apart of the Illuminati, as is, the Bin Laden family. ]]>

<![CDATA[NIGGA PLEASE!!! he SO guilty!! yo time betta spent on campaignin fo clinton/ sted some nigga who got wat he got fo doin wat he do. burn him at da stake long wit o'bamma and flush they racist ass down da toilet wit da rest of da shit! ]]>

<![CDATA[...<a href="http://www.partisandefense.org/pubs/articles/factsheet1231.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.partisandefense.org/pubs/articles/factsheet1231.html</a> , , ]]>

<![CDATA[Hey, Bubba...learn the difference between "their", "there", and "they're". Or is it that you meant being American means being illiterate? Only dipshits like yourself are taken in by such stupid campaign rhetoric like the comment you made. Are you going to be un-american when you don't support Hillary or Obama if they are elected?]]>

<![CDATA[Send Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Back To Their Family Bin Laden THEIR NOT AMERICANS ]]>

<![CDATA[As our country attempts its slow, torturous crawl from the entanglement of a heartbreakingly un-American presidency, it is also being offered the chance to appoint a truly great leader. His name is Barack Obama. He is a forthright, brilliant, and inspirational person who has chosen to parlay his exceptional gifts into the public service of the United States. His racial background is one that many Americans can personally identify with. He is a proven believer in the truest and best ideals upon which this country was founded, a tireless worker in the local community, a quick learner, and a tough, pragmatic politician. He is the closest we've come to approaching full circle as a country. Despite all the hateful words I've encountered about the man simply because he is black, I believe we, as a majority of citizens, are ready and willing to trust him with our highest elected office. Hillary Clinton is not the answer; simply more of the same special-interest, big-money cavalcade of established power-grabbers. If she manages to get the Democratic nomination in spite of Obama's hugely superior electoral numbers, I will not vote again for a Democratic candidate.]]>

<![CDATA[Instead of a story about the 5% cut to the Metro Courts they missed the bigger story....HOW COULD IT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED? Well that it is story that would have anybody, or at least anybody with any sense OUTRAGED! See it goes like this... The sheriffs office says it cost about $60.00 a day to house it's guest (also known as inmates) yet they recive $100.00 a day for it. I don't know how it cost that much when all 3 meals cost them less than $2.00, but thats another story,so being in finance for the last 21 years I show a proffit here of $40.00 a day per person which comes to about $20,000.00 a day and ABOUT $8,000.00 a day PROFFIT! They say "well the jails are over crowded" and I'm sure they are, but what are the majority in there for? This is the part that will have you at very least PISSED! I done a study of this and found that almost HALF were in the for trival things. Things such as trespassing (one guy was sitting on a sidewalk of a business that was closed (if that officer was that worried about where the guy was sitting, perhaps he should have taken him to his house and let him sit instead of costing the taxpayers $100.00 a day), probation violation, one lady I talked to lost her job and had not gotten back to work so she was violated and has to serve 30 days (that bright probation officer just cost us $3000.00 in a state where $2000.00 a month is good money), oh and heres a good one, driving on a revoked license, a guy had his license revoked over unpaid tickets and was given 10 days (thats a $1000.00 it costs us). The total cost to get his license back is about $1500.00, he makes or made $7.00 an hour (of course now he is out of a job over this and will be filing for unemployment)so he barely is able to live, let alone give the state anything to get his license back. This is the 2nd time he has been arrested in one year for this and both times got 10 days (for a total of $2,000.00 to the sheriffs department) and both times lost his job. Now the states money is OUR money because they dont produce anything and the only way it has to make money to stay in business is to have us send them money, but a 3rd grader could figure out that it would be cheaper for the taxpayers to just give the guy back his license. We would have a net savings of $500.00, this guy would be able to get insurance, keep his job and avoid un-employment (which by the way costs us as well). Perhaps that is what the whole problem here is.... some people have so much education the first thing they lose is COMMON SENSE! The ability to do basic math is normally what goes first I guess? Solution - Now if you feel bad for the courts then call them, e-mail them and tell them the first place they can find their 5% is to a) tell officers to stop arresting people for trival things, b) when they do just cut them lose. This will not only save money for the courts but will also save you and I a whopping (appox) $4,000.00 a DAY, $28,000.00 a WEEK, $121,240.00 a MONTH and are you ready???? $1,454,880.00 a YEAR! Howard R. Whitaker, Finance Officer Green Hills Please forward this to everyone you know. The best way we can help is to point out the basics to those who have forgoten them. ]]>

<![CDATA[no, he thinks he's better than YOU, which most people are.]]>

<![CDATA["It's not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or anti-pathy to people who aren't like them, or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." Of course he's an elitist. He's a liberal, ain' he? Yes, he thinks he's better than you. ]]>

<![CDATA[Welcome to the Lisa Leeds for House District 58 Campaign. Is excited to be your Libertarian candidate for Tennessee House District 58. Has the courage to bring you a government of tolerance and individual responsibility. From tolerance comes peace, and from individual responsibility comes prosperity. My Campaign is about LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS!!!!!!! Please I could rally use your Donations what ever you can spear every little bit helps so if you can help please do... I will not let the state or the people down.. Please I truly need your help to win!!!! Please feel free to go to my web site <a href="http://lisaleeds2008.com" rel="nofollow">http://lisaleeds2008.com</a> Please Help!!!! To Donate go to <a href="http://lisaleeds2008.com/new_page_3.htm" rel="nofollow">http://lisaleeds2008.com/new_page_3.htm</a> and give as much as you can spear Thanks and God Bless Lisa Leeds Candidate in 08 State House Dist. 58 TN ]]>

<![CDATA[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Lisa Leeds for Tennessee House 58 Voice Phone Number: (615) 275-5279 Email Address: info@lisaleeds2008.com Website URL: <a href="http://lisaleeds2008.com" rel="nofollow">http://lisaleeds2008.com</a> Lisa Leeds, Libertarian Candidate for Tennessee House 58, calls for an end to the State’s Spending Spree Nashville, Tennessee, May 04, 2008: Lisa Leeds the Libertarian candidate for Tennessee House District 58 believes it is time end the annual budget charade and start taking real decisive action when it comes to state spending. The 2008 Tennessee Pork Report documents $260 million in waste, fraud and abuse of tax dollars. The 2007/2008 Tennessee budget was $27.5 billion. In January Governor Phil Bredesen proposed a budget of $27.88 billion budget, an increase of $380. Then last week Governor Bredesen proposed cutting $400 million to $500 million from his proposed budget, with increases of $380 million from last year. This means actual cuts will be much smaller. At the maximum cut levels proposed by Governor Bredesen, Tennessee will only see about $120 million reduction in state spending. Given the Legislatures appetite for pork, it is highly unlikely that the governor will get the maximum number of budget cuts he wants. More than likely spending will slightly increase from last year’s budget. It took 196 years (1796 - 1992) for the Tennessee budget to reach $10 billion. The legislature managed to double that amount in 10 years (1992 - 2002). Naturally, Bredesen’s budget cuts do not address any of the state’s pork projects. Proposed cuts are really just reduction in the proposed growth of state government, but do not represent actual cuts in spending. For real spending cuts the general size of government should be scaled back to its constructional defined role, eliminating all pork spending in the process. Many of the functions currently being done by government, should be transferred to the private sector, where they can be done better and at less cost. For additional information on Lisa Leeds Libertarian Candidacy for Tennessee House District 58, short statements, or to schedule a full interview please contact Lisa Leeds for Tennessee House 58 at (615) 275-5279 or visit www.lisaleeds2008.com. END ]]>

<![CDATA[I am so tired of this particular criticism of Obama. It is just "pandering" to the working class from Hillary & others to get votes. He did NOT grow up "drinking latte, etc." I admire an eloquent, educated, & accomplished person who came from a decidedly lower to middle-class background for the most part. This is something that speaks very well of him; NOT a reason to put him down! I take this personally: I was a lower income high school graduate who raised my son as a single parent through a good portion of his upbringing. He also graduated from Harvard Law School (last year,) did lots of community service, & now works for one of the top law firms in the world. He can also be judged by those who do not take the time to know him (or check out the facts) as an "elitist." Please look beyond the sound bites!]]>

<![CDATA[The MSM will never allow a viable third party candidate enough air time to make a difference. There are plenty of worthy third party candidates. The media relies on advertising $$ for its funding. Corporations pay $$ to media outlets for their advertising. Corporations need certain politicians to be in office to put legislation in place to benefit their companies. Along comes a small but powerful voice of reason-aka the third party candidate-and everyone freaks out that this "outsider" is threatening to destroy everything by waking people up. Summary: Do not let the voice of reason have too much air time, or we will pull your funding. It's not a liberal media. The internet serves that purpose. If you need proof, just watch the last Republican debate moderated by Anderson Cooper. He is getting marching orders through an ear piece telling him to ignore Ron Paul. Thats the power of this corporate influence. ]]>

<![CDATA[It's not only the liberals who walk out. <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ebscox_3cxk" rel="nofollow">http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ebscox_3cxk</a>]]>

<![CDATA[ Too many democrats are used to the liberal main-stream-media's kid glove treatment and can't handle the spot light of truth. O'Reilly and Hannity ask the hard questions and do not let the liberals off easy. More than once Ive seen democrats get up and leave in the middle of an interview. If democrats cant handle O'Reilly or Hannity, how can we trust them to protect us against terrorism? Oh, that's right...democrats are OK with radical islam and terrorism...but Fox News and Rush Limbaugh must be stopped! ]]>

<![CDATA[Fucking democrats. Trying to be "diplomatic" as usual. If they weren't such pussies, they would have the balls to all out shun FAUX news. Diplomacy is for the weak...and for those silly democracies. To quote Bush: "A dictatorship would be so much easier".]]>

<![CDATA[ <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10032.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10032.html</a> The nation’s top Democrats are suddenly rushing to appear on the Fox News Channel, which they once had shunned as enemy territory as the nemesis of liberal bloggers. The detente with Fox has provoked a backlash from progressive bloggers, who contend the party’s leaders are turning their backs on the base — and lending credibility and legitimacy to the network liberals love to hate — in a quest for a few swing votes. Fox News is kicking liberal ass, baby!]]>

<![CDATA[ Bet you would have never guessed this one! No matter your politics. The media will never tell of this, so pass it on. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal on Cindy McCain, John's wife. All I ever saw was this attractive woman standing beside John. I was surprised how talented and involved with world problems she is. This is a summary of the article. She graduated from Southern Cal and was a special-needs teacher. After her Dad died she became involved with his beer distributing firm and is now the chairwoman. Sales have doubled since she has taken over from her father. They have a marriage prenuptial agreement, her assets remain separate. She is involved around the world clearing land mines - travels to these countries on a detonation team and service on their board. They have a 19 year old serving in Iraq, another son in the Naval Academy, a daughter recently graduated from Columbia Univ., an adopted daughter in high school, and a son who is the finance guy at the beer firm. Raised kids in Phoenix, Az rather than Washington DC.(better atmosphere) He commuted. In 1991, Mrs. McCain came across a girl in an orphanage in Bangladesh. Mother Teresa implored Mrs. McCain to take the baby with severe cleft palate. She did so without first telling her husband. The couple adopted the girl who has had a dozen operations to repair her cleft palate and other medical problems. They have a Family Foundation for children's causes. She's active with "Halo Trust" - to clear land mines, provide water and food in war ravaged and developing countries. She will join an overseas mission of "Operation Smile", a charity for corrective surgery on children's faces. She has had two back surgeries and became addicted to pain killers. She talks openly about it which she says is part of the recovery process. I'm surprised the media is so quiet about her attributes. She sounds more capable than Hillary or Obama. We would really get two for the price of one. A person with business and international experience. John did work for the firm for awhile when he left the Navy. She, however, has the real business experience. Very interesting ]]>

<![CDATA[I can understand voting third party if there were someone a large number of people could get behind, but they don't exist at this time. Ron Paul has no support(less than 5%, Ralph Nader has less than him), who else is out there? The whole point of voting third party is to change things for the better, not draw votes from viable candidates. if there were a viable third party candidate out there i would vote for them but Ron Paul and Ralph Nader are not viable, and i wouldn't vote for them regardless of there viability due to there totally unrealistic views on foreign policy.]]>

<![CDATA[Well, ok. I'll vote for a third party candidate that has NO CHANCE of winning. How's that? ---------------------- This is so stupid!!!!!!!!! SO youd rather "win" than try a 3rd party? Neither party will change anything. Youre not voting for someone youre voting against someone arent you?? Come on people wake up!!! WHY ARE YOU SO SCARED THAT HILLARY WILL WIN? If you people of both partys will vote for a 3rd party guy then neither will win... Come on use your brains... ]]>

<![CDATA[Bush - Print a bad $600 check. Mail it to American worker. Gov't. receives half of it back because of taxes. Remainder was spent on gas, bills, debt and food. The best way to stimulate our economy? - First, without a fiscally responsible government, it's impossible. With our current tax system, the gov't wants us to work more so we they can tax us for working harder for their out of control spending! Ron Paul had it right. Don't tax what we earn... tax what we spend. That stimulates the economy and sends tax dollars to the government. Screw Iraq. Pack up and leave. No explanation, just not be there one day. By the way, Iraq is not a war. A war is our military vs another military. Spend our tax dollars on OUR infrastructure. Take 10% of Iraq's oil for OUR use.]]>

<![CDATA[See, That is the exact mindset of why they wouldn't win. Everyone in the country only sees the political parties in black and white while missing the fact that its a technicolor world out there. You do realize that the Democratic and Republican parties were not always around and at one point in time they were both considered a third party option, don't you? It's time to break out of this two party system and move forward. Hawker]]>

<![CDATA[ Well, ok. I'll vote for a third party candidate that has NO CHANCE of winning. How's that? ]]>

<![CDATA[Sorry, I thought I made it clear that I was meaning both democratic and republican parties were dirty and untrustworthy. I am all for voting for a third party. Actually I am going to write in Ron Paul but I don't expect anyone else here to follow me in doing that or to even agree with or understand why I am doing it. Just my Piece. Hawker]]>

<![CDATA[Why do yall insist on voting and supporting either party?? Neither have proven to care about the working people. They both love the world govt corporate crap. Try a 3rd party this year please. ]]>

<![CDATA[For the record, The Republican party isn't squeaky clean themselves. Matter of fact, both parties are about as dirty as they come and frankly we need a change in political parties. That would shake everything up and who knows, it might even change this country and the world for the better. Food for thought. Hawker ]]>

<![CDATA[ Clinton blasts Bush for not stopping a project Bill OK'd <a href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/35337.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.mcclatchydc.com/election2008/story/35337.html</a> INDIANAPOLIS — It's a story Hillary Clinton loves to tell, about how the Chinese government bought a good American company in Indiana, laid off all its workers and moved its critical defense technology work to China. And it's a story with a dramatic, political ending. Republican President George W. Bush could have stopped it, but didn't. If she were president, she says, she'd fight to protect those jobs. It's just the kind of talk that's helping her win support form working-class Democrats worried about jobs and paychecks, not to mention their country's security. What Clinton never tells in the oft-repeated tale is the role prominent Democrats played in selling the company and its technology to the Chinese. She never mentions that big-time Democratic contributor George Soros helped put together the deal to sell the company, or that the sale was approved by the administration of her husband. With all this new media, internet scrutiny exposing the corrupt policies of democrats, some people will STILL vote for them! ]]>

<![CDATA["TWO YEARS AGO the democrats said they would surrender in Iraq and bring the troops home. It's time to FIRE THE LIARS!" ............................................. Something tells me you aren't too concerned about their lack of action on the war. Can you really be that upset about their failure to bring the troops home? Their lack of action works in your favor according to your beliefs, doesn't it? Don't worry, I can see through your crap. I don't know, maybe it was the use of the term "surrender". ]]>

<![CDATA[ "The title of Reverend Wright’s sermon that morning was “The Audacity of Hope.” He began with a passage from the Book of Samuel—the story of Hannah, who, barren and taunted by her rivals, had wept and shaken in prayer before her God. The story reminded him, he said, of a sermon a fellow pastor had preached at a conference some years before, in which the pastor described going to a museum and being confronted by a painting title Hope. “The painting depicts a harpist,” Reverend Wright explained, “a woman who at first glance appears to be sitting atop a great mountain. Until you take a closer look and see that the woman is bruised and bloodied, dressed in tattered rags, the harp reduced to a single frayed string. Your eye is then drawn down to the scene below, down to the valley below, where everywhere are the ravages of famine, the drumbeat of war, a world groaning under strife and deprivation. “It is this world, a world where cruise ships throw away more food in a day than most residents of Port-au-Prince see in a year, where white folks’ greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere…That’s the world! On which hope sits!” And so it went, a meditation on a fallen world. While the boys next to me doodled on their church bulletin, Reverend Wright spoke of Sharpsville and Hiroshima, the callousness of policy makers in the White House and in the State House. As the sermon unfolded, though, the stories of strife became more prosaic, the pain more immediate. The reverend spoke of the hardship that the congregation would face tomorrow, the pain of those far from the mountaintop, worrying about paying the light bill… " You white people are soooo greedy! ]]>

<![CDATA[ TWO YEARS AGO the democrats said they would bring down the price of oil. It is now MUCH HIGHER. TWO YEARS AGO the democrats said they would surrender in Iraq and bring the troops home. It's time to FIRE THE LIARS! ]]>

<![CDATA[Well EXXON earned 145 BILLION of those so called weak dollars last year and I think thats the problem with high prices. That and the lack of refineries due to Al Gore types. ]]>

<![CDATA["The prices are high due to the fact of the recession in the United Sattes and the economic crisis which has touched several countries, a situation which has an effect on the devaluation of the dollar, and therefore each time the dollar falls one percent, the price of the barrel rises by $4, and of course vice versa," he was quoted as saying in brief remarks to journalists on Sunday. He added that: "If this (the dollar) strengthens by 10 percent, it is probable that (oil) prices will fall by 40 percent." If the U.S. economic situation improved from now to the end of the year "that would help the market to stabilize." <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-oil-opec-president.html?_r=1&oref=slogin" rel="nofollow">http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-oil-opec-president.html?_r=1&oref=slogin</a> Now let's look at where Republican Deficit spending has taken the dollar... <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2187rank.html</a> Yes that's us at the bottom of the list. ]]>

<![CDATA[Yes, the Dragon Lady is working hand-to-mouth to gain all the black vote she can. When Bill was in the White House, she might have been the 'First Lady', but she damm sure wasn't the last...]]>

<![CDATA[i am a republican but with the gas prices it is hard not to want the progress of ethanol feul. the gov. right now does not want ethanol to compete with the gas prices. if we buy ethanol fuel from outsource contries we usualy get it from the carribian. due to the carribian trade agreement there is not a tariff tax on that ethanol. on allmost all other countries there are two tariff taxes equaling somewhere around 102%. at that rate we cannot buy enough ethanol to make a differance. it is true that 30% of our corn is used for ethanol could be more. corn is also used for many other thing other than food or ethanol like animalfeed, plastics, oils, whiskey, and maybe lessthan 40% is used as food. but on the other hand after corn has been broken to make ethanol the left over corn, which is the byproduct, is only missing the starch and still contains all the nutrients to make fine animal feed.some south american countries depend mainly of ethanol and produce enough to sell to us but who is going to pay that tariff tax. one of those tariff taxes is a protective tariff tax to protect the livelyhood of our corn farmers, but what about all the rumers about the US gov. paying farmers not to grow crops. republican or democrat we all need to push for ethanol feul. this is the truth. if you researched it as well as i did you well see that there is not a draw back from producing ethanol fuel. please take this to heart and don't flagg this. i am not trying to support a certain party or to knock down any bodys word. ]]>

<![CDATA[ <a href="http://www.nysun.com/news/food-crisis-eclipsing-climate-change" rel="nofollow">http://www.nysun.com/news/food-crisis-eclipsing-climate-change</a> "One factor being blamed for the price hikes is the use of government subsidies to promote the use of corn for ethanol production. An estimated 30% of America’s corn crop now goes to fuel, not food." Hey liberal, How many people are you starving with your ethanol? Al Gore is a liar and a fucking idiot. So are the rest of you pathetic liberals. No wonder the world hates America. ]]>

<![CDATA[if you'd like to support or volunteer please go to www.hillaryclinton.com for more info. Go Hillary! 2008 Hillary4President! ]]>

<![CDATA[Are you supporting Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney, Libertarian party, etc? If so, MTV News is seeking video interviews to be aired on their website. I am a contributing "citizen journalist" to MTV's Choose or Lose campaign hoping to find young Nashville residents looking outside the two major parties. Respond above if you're interested in discussing your views and your candidate's positions. Go to www.think.mtv.com/Dustin_TN to see past videos from TN for the Choose or Lose campaign. Thanks.]]>

<![CDATA[<a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1227842.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1227842.html</a> ]]>

<![CDATA[That crazy Ron Paul doesn't know what he is talking about!!! I actually hope he runs as an independent. He won't because he said he won't and he has ALWAYS stuck to his word. DAMMIT! <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24269007" rel="nofollow">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24269007</a>]]>

<![CDATA[After Bush: Healing America Should Start with Release of Reagan Records on Iran-Contra and Saddam That Bush Suppressed in 2001 Writing in Artvoice, Michael I. Niman says that in order to begin healing the nation in the the aftermath of the Worst Presidency Ever, America will need to undergo a process of truth-telling next year not unlike the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings in South Africa after Apartheid ended a decade ago. “George W. Bush spent most of 2001 using legal maneuvers to delay the release of records that would likely have incriminated key members of his administration as well as his father in crimes that took place two decades earlier.” – Niman The place to start, Niman suggests, is with the release of tens of thousands of documents from the Reagan-Bush presidency that George W. Bush suppressed by fiat during his first year in office. Until Bush countermanded it, the Presidential Records Act required that the records of every administration be made public after 12 years, which meant that the Reagan-Bush documents were due for release after January 2001. In the same executive order, Bush also included the records from his father’s two terms as vice president — which was undoubtedly Bush Jr.’s true purpose all along. First some background on the Reagan-Bush records from Niman: There were two big unfolding stories pre-9/11 that just sort of disappeared. One was the completion of the first full recount of the disputed 2000 Florida presidential election—which Al Gore won, albeit by a hair… The second, possibly larger story, was the scheduled declassification of the first batch of sealed records from the Reagan/Bush White House. Those records promised to further document massive crimes against both humanity and the Constitution, as well as treason committed by our leader’s father and the now revered Ronald Reagan. Historians expected that among the 68,000 documents scheduled for release in 2001 would be further evidence of Reagan administration support for and coordination of terrorist attacks aimed at destabilizing the economy and democratically elected popular government of Nicaragua, not to mention support for death squads in El Salvador, Columbia and Honduras (Battalion 316), and genocide in Guatemala. Juicier still, given the current situation in Iraq, would be additional data about Reagan/Bush support for Saddam Hussein’s government at a time when it was gassing its own citizens (allegedly with US supplied materials), and support for the mullahs in Iran, who, it turns out, the Reagan administration covertly supplied with arms (remember Ollie North?), allegedly in exchange for the continued imprisonment of the American embassy staff in the run-up to the 1980 presidential election. The incident left US President Jimmy Carter appearing impotent, leading to the Reagan/Bush victory, which was immediately followed by the release of the hostages and US arms shipments to Iran’s criminal regime. Throw in a draconian domestic agenda and we would have been looking at an interesting read. George W. Bush spent most of 2001 using legal maneuvers to delay the release of records that would likely have incriminated key members of his administration as well as his father in crimes that took place two decades earlier. Once the nation moved into the post-9/11 era, the political opening emerged for W. to issue an unquestioned executive order (Exec. Order 13233) on November 1, 2001, quietly thwarting the release of the Reagan/Bush papers in the name of “national security.” To restore America after the disastrous Bush presidency, Niman says that these and other truths must be revealed: The first step is to recognize where we are. Then we have to look at what other nations in similar positions have done to recover. We have to abandon the notion that we are somehow better than any other nation that lost control of its sensibilities for a generation. And we need to examine the established paths these nations have moved as they struggled in recovery. The first step is to restore the reign of truth—to return meaning to language and return credibility to government. This is done with a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. More than 30 countries have convened various forms of such commissions in places ranging from South Africa and Rwanda to East Timor. The idea is that first comes truth, even sometimes at the cost of immunity from prosecution. Only with truth reestablished can a nation have reconciliation, and with its history in order, move forward into the future. In the case of the Bush administration, there will be many questions to be answered. These will probably need to start with well documented electoral irregularities and widespread conspiracies to suppress voting in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, the latter of which has already resulted in criminal prosecutions in the election-deciding state of Ohio. If it turns out that one or both elections were corrupted, then we’ll have difficult questions to face regarding the legitimacy of enduring institutions such as the Supreme Court, which may have been affected by appointments put in place by an illegal government. Or maybe not. These are the kind of questions such a commission needs to sort out. Chances that there will be a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or anything like it, in the wake of the Bush era are slim, to say the least. For one thing, if polls that give him a 30 percent approval rating are accurate, almost a third of us remain in complete denial that Bush has done anything wrong. However, assuming the next president is a Democrat, the least he or she can do is revoke Exec. Order 13233 and release the Reagan-Bush records so that at least those 20 year old truths can be told. ]]>

<![CDATA[ Controlled excitement is building inside of Clinton's inner circle as closely guarded internal polling shows the former first lady with an 11-point lead in Pennsylvania! <a href="http://drudgereport.com/flashpa.htm" rel="nofollow">http://drudgereport.com/flashpa.htm</a> People are realizing that Obammy, a closet terrorist supporter and anti-American, doesnt have a chance! He has no experience and racist radicals for his closest associates. Geeesh! wake up America! ]]>

<![CDATA[ Have you ever noticed that when this guy doesnt have a teleprompter he cant speak? "eh...,uh, that is...uh,...well, what I mean is...eh..." How annoying! Also notice that when he receives ANY sort of criticism or insult, he completely loses it. That last debate with hillary had him red faced and stumbling! How embarrassing! Can you imagine what the hero and war veteran, John McCain, is gonna do to this boy? ]]>

<![CDATA[let's see...you say "rich liberal" is an oxymoron...a contradiction in terms. examples of rich liberals: that dumbass al gore the skirt-chasing disgraced former president bill kkklinton that terrorist-loving horse's ass jimmy carter all the Kennedys, including the Drowner Himself, Teddy "I'll have another scotch beofre i drive Mary Jo home" Kennedy the vast majority of Hollywood every democrat in congress john mccain every last person you see on television, with the exception of bo derek, gary sinese and tom selleck. every person who works for the vast majority of newspapers, magazines, and related print media in the US hugh hefner barbra streisand, and everyone who looks like her. every baldwin ever born. congressman james jefferson-d of louisiana--who had $90K stolen cash hidden in his freezer. mayor nagin. jesse jackson. barney frank. nancy pelosi ( who hires illegals for slave wages, and then screams about how mexicans are mistreated in the US ) every Jew who mysteriously supports the left--while the left constantly shafts Israel. the Republican party was LONG AGO the party of the rich. No longer. Now it is the party of the working guy who doesn't want to pay any higher taxes to fund the lazy-assed lifestyle of the welfare cheats or the illegal mexicans bringing disease and crime into the US.]]>

<![CDATA[Just to brief you all on what other industrialized nations are doing with healthcare. <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/themes/socialized.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/themes/socialized.html</a>]]>

<![CDATA[ well, thats pretty good, EXCEPT... ...believe that government can play a positive role in the economic and educational well-being of the people..." Whatya mean? Like unlimited free health care? unlimited foodstamps? Projects? failed public schools? Thats called socialism and that stuff aint working now. In fact its harming the ones its supposed to help. "...and to be a force for good in the causes of international peace and human rights." You mean like, fighting terrorism? Overthrowing Islamo-fascist countries that torture and oppress women and minorities? We've got that already and the liberals and democrats HATE IT! Im not sure I understand how neo-libertarianism is gonna work. ]]>

<![CDATA[ <a href="http://crazypepsidad.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://crazypepsidad.blogspot.com/</a> Democrats and Republican be warned! There is a new political idea floating around out there or maybe its an old one and I'm just now hearing about it. But I tell you what, if it catches on, it will change everything for the better and get us back to a government by for and of the people. NEO-LIBERTARIAN James Leroy Wilson wrote an amazing article that sums up the idea of what it is to be a Neo-libertarian. Essentially, a neo-libertarian is a “moderate” who leans toward greater personal freedom (especially when it comes to sex) and greater economic freedom (less government taxing and spending, fewer regulations). I couldn't agree more. I want the federal government to stay out of my life, stick to what it was intended to do pass laws that the people agree upon, collect taxes, protect us from our enemies foreign and domestic, and help conduct trade abroad. That's it! Everything else should be handled at the state and local level by those in the know. That's why I feel that Neo-libertarism is so right for this country right now. It may not be THE future of American politics but what's going on now just isn't working and we need a change. Wilson also says "As such, a Neo-libertarian has a lot in common with the mainstream of the American people, who generally want people to be free - as they understand freedom - yet also still believe that government can play a positive role in the economic and educational well-being of the people, and to be a force for good in the causes of international peace and human rights." <a href="http://www.partialobserver.com/article.cfm?id=980" rel="nofollow">http://www.partialobserver.com/article.cfm?id=980</a> ]]>

<![CDATA[To contribute to our cause I could really use your support , go to this website. <a href="http://lisaleeds2008.com" rel="nofollow">http://lisaleeds2008.com</a>]]>

<![CDATA[ CONTACT: Lisa Leeds for Tennessee House 58 Voice Phone Number: (615) 275-5279 Email Address: info@lisaleeds2008.com Website URL: lisaleeds2008.com Libertarian Candidate for Tennessee House 58, Lisa Leeds takes the side of the Music City Motorplex Nashville, Tennessee, April 13, 2008: Lisa Leeds the Libertarian candidate for Tennessee House District 58 takes the side of Music City Motorplex. Ms. Leeds has lived by the racetrack for 15 years and when she moved by the Fairgrounds she knew she was moving next to a race track. The people complaining about the noise from the race track knew they were moving next to a race track, which has been a long established business in the community, when they moved to the area. The race track has been a part of the community for sixty years, and represents a significant aspect of NASCAR’s history in Music City. Also the race track attracts race drivers that come from many places. Some drivers even come from out of state to race there and in some cases they make it from there to NASCAR. Thus the race track provides an unquestionable positive economic impact upon the community. The neighbors of the race track have no standing to tell the racetrack to have the races over by 10 p.m. It was the people’s own responsibility to find out about noise levels in the neighborhood due to the race track before they moved to the area. Lisa Leeds supports the race track and believes the fairgrounds board needs to leave the racetrack alone. For additional information on Lisa Leeds Libertarian Candidacy for Tennessee House District 58, short statements, or to schedule a full interview please contact Lisa Leeds for Tennessee House 58 at (615) 275-5279 or visit lisaleeds2008.com. END ]]>

<![CDATA[isnt that kind of a self imposed oxymoron? i mean think about it rich liberals: liberalism = socialism socialism = taxes taxes = take away from rich d'oh? ]]>

<![CDATA[Still a great video. <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=S9YuD9kYK9I" rel="nofollow">http://youtube.com/watch?v=S9YuD9kYK9I</a>]]>

<![CDATA[ OBAMA WOOS GUN-TOTING GOD NUTS April 16, 2008 The Democrats' "Fake-Out America" adviser, Berkeley linguistics professor George Lakoff, must be beside himself. Despite Lakoff's years spent training Democrats to "frame" their language to stop scaring Americans, B. Hussein Obama was caught on tape speaking candidly to other liberals in San Francisco last week. One minute Obama was bowling in Pennsylvania with nice, ordinary people wearing "Beer Hunter" T-shirts, and the next thing you know, he was issuing a report on the psychological traits of normal Americans to rich liberals in San Francisco. Obama informed the San Francisco plutocrats that these crazy working-class people are so bitter, they actually believe in God! And not just the 12-step meeting, higher power, "as you conceive him or her to be" kind of God. The regular, old-fashioned, almighty sort of "God." As Obama put it: "(T)hey get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." The rich liberals must have nearly fainted at the revelation that the denizens of small towns in Pennsylvania have absolutely no concern for the rich's ability to acquire servants from Mexico at a reasonable price. We don't know much about Obama's audience, other than that four fundraisers were held on April 6 at the homes of San Franci