Bits and Pieces

I’m really hoping Al Franken pulls this one out. Because he’s good enough, and smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like him. OK OK I know I already made that joke. Shut up.
Awesome major victories in the War on the War on Drugs with Massachusetts essentially decriminalizing small possession (ehh… still a $100 fine… not perfect, but still a victory), and Michigan becomes the 13th state to approve medicinal use.
On the one hand, the TN legislature going red scares and depresses me. The last thing we need is for this state to become more backwards, intolerant, and misogynistic. On the other hand, few elected Tennessee Democrats are worth a damn, and maybe the TNDP needs to hit the wilderness just like the national GOP. But I may have to think about moving to Massachusetts.
A mighty Nelson Muntz style “Ha-Ha” on Kurita losing to Barnes. I never really cared about her vote on the Wilder issue, actually even thought she was right. But on the issues she’s the sort of nanny-stater that I want Democrats to move away from, and Barnes seems like one of the better ones. Let’s hope the Republican speaker shows enough class not to politicize that seat further and throw him out. I’m not going to hold my breath.
Keeping our fingers crossed for gay marriage in California. Jeers to the bigots in Florida and Arizona, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

2 comments for this entry:

Steve Trinward
November 8th, 2008 on 2:49 pm
comment on the GOP takeover of Tenn. Assembly … Might it not be an improvement just getting Naifeh out of his fiefdom? I agree that many GOPer reps are too concerned about “illegals” and social conformity for their (and our) own good. But it might be interesting to see if the REpubs use their power with some discretion, and allow more bills to at least be heard on the floor …
Jon
November 8th, 2008 on 10:49 pm
Yeah, it’s a mixed bag … I’ve got no love for Naifeh, but he was our only firewall on a few things like abortion … I dunno, overall I think it’s the step backward that we needed in order to clean house in the TNDP, so we can start getting rid of the good old boy Dixiecrats and rebuilding with better Democrats, but I can’t help but be scared of what abominations they may push through in the meantime.

If we had a more libertarian TNGOP, or hell even one still anchored in Baker/Alexander style moderation, I might have more hope. But these days, with wingnuts like Bill Hobbs, Robin Smith, and Stacey Campfield leading the charge … I don’t have a good feeling.

mushinnoshin