Part 1 - The 8 Days of New Year’s Eve - Applying the multiple nights of one holiday to another may seem like a good idea, but since the news won’t stop - coal ash, Mayor Dean, and Bill Frist, etc. - I guess the Liberadio(!) holiday party will have to. [32.6 MB 20:20 download MP3]
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Part 2 - Interview with Councilwoman at large Megan Barry. Councilwoman Barry sheds some light on how Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only amendment would negatively affect the governing of the city of Nashville. It’s not pretty. [38.3 MB 23:52 download MP3]
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Part 3 - Mr. Franken? Mr. Franken Votes Aye - The U.S. Senate shenanigans are heating up as winners get announced and threats of barring the door of the chamber fly. We practice for when Al Franken becomes a Senator, wonder what Howard Dean will do next, and reminisce about a trip to Memphis. [19.2 MB 11:58 download MP3]
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Part 4 - Interview with Paul Golden - The Marketing and Communications Project Manager for the National Endowment for Financial Education helps us navigate through one of the most popular of New Year’s resolutions - getting your financial house in order. [23.6MB 14:43 download MP3]
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Part 5 - A Chip off the Ol’ RNC Block - Chip Saltsman is running for chairman of the RNC, the “party of personal responsibility,” while blaming everyone else for his little Christmas CD indiscretion. We hope he wins with his more of the same communications tactics since they worked so well this election. Plus, Mayor Dean gets his Against/Against on. [50.3MB 31:21 download MP3]
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In a statement released this afternoon, Bill Frist opened the floodgates for Republican gubernatorial hopefuls and kept the door closed for his own presidential ambitions by confirming that he will not run for governor in Tennessee in 2010.
Who will be the Republican hopefuls?
Zach Wamp: The congressman from the fighting 3rd has basically been telling Frist to shit or get off the pot for weeks. I’m sure I’m not the only Tennessean who has noticed his self-promoting mug on billboards prominently placed along I-40 the farther East one gets in Tennessee. His shrewd pre-emptive waste management of his nose candy problem was almost Obama-esque, but is he too zealous?
Bill Haslam: Haslam has a head-down reputation for competent governance of Tennessee’s pre-Appalachian outpost, and he’s less of a lightning rod than former Knoxville mayor Victor Ashe.
Bill Gibbons: I’ll confess to knowing least about Gibbons other than that he has confessed interest in the race as a Republican.
Marsha Blackburn: The only female congressman in Tennessee, the newly feminist and ever-ambitious ex-stylist Marsha Marsha Marsha has her work cut out for her in accessing the same base Wamp is likely to court, especially after a healthy challenge from her right by Tom Leatherwood in 2008’s Republican primary. Word in the mythical backrooms is that the Baker boys aren’t fond of her. Her ambition more than conventional wisdom leave her on the list. Rep. Beth Harwell’s recent deferral to Mumpower keeps her off for now.
The real wildcard here will be whether this is a replay of the 2006 U.S. Senate Republican primary, where two conservatives (Bryant, Hilleary) pave the way for a moderate (Corker), or whether two moderates pave the way for a conservative. Will Gibbons enter the fray as a moderate or a conservative (particularly of the social variety)? I’m expecting Haslam to lean moderate, although he could (unpleasantly) surprise me.
Haslam stands to out-Bresdesen Bredesen by campaigning as a pragmatic fiscally responsible executive able to build alliances with rather than alienate core members of his party but able to be a sincere bipartisan operator at the same time.
The other big winner from today’s news is Democratic state senator Andy Berke. Having recently been the best promoter of Democratic ideas in the state, he stands well poised to emerge from what will probably be a small field of legitimate Democratic contenders if the U.S. Senate primary is any gauge of Democratic interest in statewide office.
Honestly, I don’t know if there will be any other serious contenders than former state representative (and first woman Majority Leader) Kim McMillan, and I’ll be interested to see how she makes the case, other than explicitly, that someone who previously supported a state income tax can win statewide office in Tennessee. Is it possible that a pro-income-tax progressive consensus could emerge that could push her past Berke’s redefinition of Democrats? I see that as almost as unlikely as her using her past support as an asset rather than a liability in the first place.
I suppose I should mention Lincoln Davis, as he has done some preliminary positioning. His name being in the hat would certainly increase tensions about the direction of the party. Having treated Obama in the Republican-lite mode, his was not an uncommon approach to Democratic presidential punditry in Tennessee, and that mode hasn’t served the party well at the ballot box since we’re in a state flush with real live Republicans who are certainly not fat-free.
And it almost pains me to mention Harold Ford, Jr. because I haven’t seen any indication that he’s serious about governance, although his name has come up in conversations about the race. I’m hopeful that Frist’s bowing out doesn’t increase the prospects that HaFo enters the race.
As much as I’d like to see the Democratic primary campaign generate broader statewide interest, I suspect that, should Haslam demonstrate grade-A gangsterism in the Republican primary, the race will be his to lose. The post-Kurita TNDP is unlikely to find a revolutionary in either Charles Robert Bone or Chip Forrester that truly speaks to Lamar!’s grand divisions broadly, so the rebuilding of the state party is likely to take more than a single election cycle, especially after the presidential, U.S. Senate, and General Assembly races we witnessed in 2008. And with Andy Berke one of few people in Tennessee Democratic politics willing to play the game on someone other than Bill Hobbs’s turf, the number of skilled messengers is likely to remain too few to allow him a realistic shot at the governor’s mansion. Regardless, I’d like to see a spirited contest between him and McMillan, as I think they might be able to point the way for the next iteration of the TNDP, especially since each will be based outside of Nashville.
Summary: Guests include Nashville attorney Gregg Ramos and Assistant District Attorney Sarah Davis; Deputy Research Director for the Center for American ProgressAmanda Terkel; and Elbert Ventura, research fellow for Media Matters for America.
Part 1 - How Do We Not Play Christmas Music For Two Hours? - By talking about the school board and their chosen one, 350 billion dollars worth of accountability, the race for TNDP chair, and ensuring that Governor Bredesen will never be a guest on our show. [49 MB 30:35 download MP3]
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Part 2 - Interview with Nashville attorney Gregg Ramos and Assistant District Attorney Sarah Davis - One defender. One prosecutor. How can they both agree that Councilman Eric Crafton’s English Only amendment is not a good idea for Nashville? [37.9 MB 23:37 download MP3]
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Part 3 - Weapons of Mass Affection - An interview with the Center for American Progress’ Deputy Research Director Amanda Terkel in which we discuss the progressive agenda and the President-Elect. [17.9MB 11:08 download MP3]
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Part 4 - Santa’s Got a Brand New Cabinet - Encouraged by Obama’s picks or discouraged by Obama’s picks, you gotta give the guy his props. [16.8MB 10:29 download MP3]
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Part 5 - Media Matters for America Smackdown - It’s the Holiday edition of the Media Matters for America Smackdown with research fellow Elbert Ventura and is there anything more festive than declaring the Media Matters’ “Misinformer of the Year?!?” Plus, we discuss the [Pastor] Rick Rolling of the Obama inauguration. Never gonna give him up. [44.3MB 27:40 download MP3]
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David Fox was elected to the Metro Nashville Board of Education in 2006 and was named chairman three months ago. In this interview he talks to us about the role of the board, the state of our schools and the challenges facing the district, why he once proposed that Gov. Bredesen authorize a mayorally appointed school board, rezoning, and the search for a new director of schools. (18:19 29.4MB Download mp3)
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Against bow ties, for God, and reaching for the grassroots. Meet the new pre-chairs of the TNDP. [31:09 50MB download MP3]
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Summary: Guests include Rev. James Lawson, civil rights icon and Distinguished Vanderbilt Professor; Elbert Ventura, research fellow for Media Matters for America.
Part 1 - Get Your French On - Freddie shows off his french to make a point, this week’s news droppings, and Tennessee Republicans commend Bush’s legacy. Really? [43.2 MB 26:58 download MP3]
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Part 2 - Interview with Rev. Jim Lawson - Rev. Lawson, civil rights icon, Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt, and a most thoughtful human being, weighs in on the need to continue to teach the principles of nonviolence; the similarities and differences between the civil rights struggles of various communities (women, African-Americans, gays, etc.); and Nashville’s English Only referendum. He called the election of Barack Obama a gift to the American people. We think his being a guest on our show is a gift, and not just because it’s (almost) Freddie’s birthday. [35 MB 21:52 download MP3]
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Part 3 - It’s a NKOTB Birthday - The English-Only discussion continues. Nashville for all of us v. Making Nashville difficult for all of us. [40.8MB 25:27 download MP3]
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Part 4 - Media Matters for America Smackdown - It’s the “It’s (Almost but not Quite) Freddie’s Birthday” edition of the Media Matters for America Smackdown with Elbert Ventura. NBC has their fingers in their ears about General Barry McCaffrey’s war profiteering. But don’t worry, they have a good excuse. [18.4MB 11:29 download MP3]
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Part 5 - Against/Against Again - There is not a lot of good that comes out of English-only - and our callers agree. [27.8MB 17:20 download MP3]
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I thought it was a typo. Surely they must have meant, “Tennessee Republicans condemn Bush’s legacy,” right? But no, there they are - U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, former Tennessee Sen. Howard Baker, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, Tennessee Republican Party chairwoman Robin Smith, and U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn - paying homage, making excuses, and blaming others.
At a time when the vast majority of Americans see the presidency of George W. Bush for what it is - disastrous for the country - Tennessee’s elected Republicans see it quite differently. They have chosen to rewrite history and fault not the President for his failed policies but the White House communications department (a group of people who have no real responsibility for making actual decisions vital to well-being of the nation) for how they presented them. As a group, they seem to be part of a minority who will cling to ideology and rhetoric and Rovian “attack, don’t defend” tactics.
Here’s a particular gem from Rep. Wamp:
The way they communicated the response to Hurricane Katrina left everyone puzzled and wondering if they could even respond. What they communicated was much worse, just showing the president flying over the damage. This is a man who would relish getting into the water and getting people out of the water. But the way they handled it made it look like he wasn’t engaged. They didn’t make him look like the compassionate leader he is. This is a man who loves to cut wood and sweat, and it didn’t come through. People lost confidence.
As much as President Bush would “relish getting into the water and getting people out of the water,” he didn’t, you know, get into the water. He did, however, fly over the damage. So which is perception and which is reality? And which is more important to the well-being of the people of the nation?
At a time when most of the country, and its elected leaders, have acknowledged the need for a change from not only the last eight years of President Bush, but also the kind of politics that have divided us for so long, it’s just more of the same from Tennessee Republicans.
So, Eric Crafton’s a good guy. A smart guy. He’s just a little too “alarmingly left-brained” to understand that learning a foreign language with the “full backing and resources of the American Navy…is so removed from the life of your average Nashville non-native speaker that it might as well take place on another planet.” He’s a no-nonsense, black or white, right or wrong, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps family man. According to those who know him best, his colleagues on the Metro Council, he’s not a bad guy.
Let’s say, for argument sake, that all of the above is true. If so, then Crafton is also a little too “alarmingly left-brained” and a little too driven by his ideals to see that he’s being manipulated by Jon Crisp, his “friend” and former head of the Davidson County GOP.
Because Crisp, in this week’s Nashville Scene cover story, let the singular purpose of the “English Only” Amendment slip:
Crafton certainly saw no gray in English Only when he and his friend and adviser Jon Crisp devised it a couple of years ago. Crisp says that English Only came to be during one of his and Crafton’s regular spitball sessions.
“Eric and I pick up on topics that we think are timely,” he says. “And you know as well as I do that any given day I can make an issue out of illegal immigration.”
Yes. We know. You’re, uh, doing it right now. You topic is “timely” because since 2004, when then-Senator Majority leader Bill Frist first introduced immigration as a problem, the unholy alliance of right-wing cable TV anouncers, talk radio hosts, and Fox News have increasingly inflamed nativist sentiment. Nashville’s version of the cookie cutter “English First” website may say that having English as the official language is “truly inclusive” and “essential to unifying our increasingly diverse population,” but Crisp’s transparent words say “purposefully exclusionary” and “essential to dividing in order to conquer.”
The well-being of the city and people of Nashville may be part of the Crafton/Crisp (aka Crispton) official talking points, but the truth is that they could really care less. My thanks to Crisp for finally admitting it.
Right now, you probably have visions of sugar plums, peppermint mochas, or Cranberry Cosmos dancing around in your head. Yeah, it’s that time of year. But see if you can fit a little participatory democracy in there as well because come January 2, 2009, we’ll be hauling our butts back into the voting booth to vote against the Metro Charter Amendment that would force all Metro Government communications and publications to be in English only.
Today, a broad coalition of Nashville’s citizens, community leaders, and business owners launched NashvilleForAllofUs.org, the beginning of the movement to urge the residents of Davidson County to vote against the English-only Metro Charter amendment. At NashvilleForAllofUs.org you can find out more information about the coalition, sign up to volunteer and spread the word, and contribute to their work to defeat this referendum.
Liberadio(!) is part of the coalition, and on Monday we had a lengthy discussion with one of our regular listeners who thought the “English-Only” Charter Amendment was a good idea [Listen]. We, obviously, do not.
Here is what the amendment proposes:
English is the official language of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee. Official actions which bind or commit the government shall be taken only in the English language, and all official government communications and publications shall be in English. No person shall have a right to government services in any other language. All meetings of the Metro Council, Boards, and Commissions of the Metropolitan Government shall be conducted in English. The Metro Council may make specific exceptions to protect public health and safety. Nothing in this measure shall be interpreted to conflict with federal or state law.
The amendment, which is clearly “English-only” and not “English-first,” is excessive, inefficient, and dangerous.
Excessive because Tennessee state law already codifies English as the “official and legal language” of our state. Inefficient because the translation of essential documents by Metro agencies makes the bureaucracy run more smoothly for all residents. Dangerous because the ability of Nashville government to communicate with all city residents, especially those who might have important information to share with government officials, is essential for public safety.
Nashville has always been known to business leaders, students, and the many visitors that our tourism industry relies on as an inclusive community. This amendment will discriminate against all foreign-born people who visit or come to live or study here, including refugees who have come to this country to escape discrimination. Ironic, ain’t it?
Some important facts:
On August 7 , 2008, the Metro Council voted 25-8 urging voters to oppose an English-only charter amendment. Mayor Dean himself addressed the council: “I wanted to take this time, this opportunity to make sure my voice, as mayor of this city, is heard on this issue, and to assure that everyone fully understands the consequences of passing a law that will tie our hands in the global economy, that will detract from our appeal as an international tourist destination, and that will damage our reputation as a welcoming and friendly city.”
According to the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Japanese investment alone in Tennessee exceeded $9.4 billion in 2004, creating over 40,000 jobs.
Research indicates that 98% of Latinos think it is “essential” that their children learn English. In fact, 80% of foreign-born children from Mexico learn English “well” or “very well,” and 92 percent of second-generation Latinos are fully fluent in English. By the third generation, only 28% of Latinos are still proficient in Spanish. (Migration Policy Institute).
Immigrants are required to learn English before they become U.S. citizens (exceptions include older immigrants). While they are learning English and going through the long citizenship process, they must still interact with government agencies.
There are over 45,000 foreign-born individuals in Davidson County who are still working towards their citizenship.
According to the Davidson County Election Commission, January’s special election to decide the fate of this ballot initiative will cost Nashville taxpayers approximately $350,000 to $500,000. This during a time when Metro is being forced to take a good, hard, long look at our budget and make necessary cuts.
So in the midst of all that Holiday cheer you’ll be spreading with your giftees and your parties, think about what makes Nashville unique as a city in Tennessee and what we’ll lose if this amendment passes. And then take the time to tell your friends - in between cups of holiday cheer, of course - to get out and vote.
Vote against the “English-Only” referendum on January 22, 2009. Early voting begins on January 2, 2009. Last day to register to vote in this election is December 23, 2008. Call the Davidson County Election Commission for more information at 615-862-8800.
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Assistant District Attorney Sarah Davis, Gregg Ramos, Deputy Research Director for the Center for American Progress Amanda Terkel, Elbert Ventura of Media Matters for America.
Monday, December 15, 2008
TNDP Chariman candidates Charles Robert Bone, Chip Forrester, Metro Nashville Public School Board Chairman David FoxTim Karr of Free Press, Elbert Ventura of Media Matters for America.
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