And TEN DEMOCRATS voted for this shit? Are you telling me that the only Senate Democrats with courage are Beverly Marrero (who ALWAYS has courage), Ophelia Ford (I've got your back now, Senator) and Thelma Harper?
You see, our legislative caucuses are locked into a strategy that will lead to their assured destruction this fall. They seem to think that all is as it was from 1976-1994, when Blue Dog Democrats ruled the state. Not so, any more, not with Tea Partiers everywhere, and rather than move to the left (i'm talking about even just TO center, not beyond it, they think that if the GOP is at 1.2 on the left-right scale, all they need to do is come in at 1.4 and they can call themselves Democrats).
Outside of Shelby and Davidson, they're all pretty much screwed. What's worse, is that they have completely abandoned any pretense of trying to find ways to help Tennesseans, and they are rolling over for bullshit like SB2686/HB2681.
Ladies and Gentlemen, what part CONSERVATIVES HATE YOU AND WILL NEVER VOTE FOR YOU have you not figured out yet? Not only that, this is YOUR fault for not pushing any even remotely progressive agendas since Blackburn sent all her anti-tax buddies to stop the income tax!
You gave up, and now you're about to be swallowed up.
I'm not alone in my disgruntlement. First , Your Liberal Friends notes this:
Beginning of life and end of life issues are thorny and intensely personal, and I’m willing to cede a lot more ground than many progressives. If the vast majority of residents of a given state or country are opposed to their tax dollars even touching the money that pays for abortions, I’m fine with that.
What I am not fine with is redundant legislation. What I am not fine with is funding campaign talking points on the taxpayer dime.
Most of all, what I am not fine with is overly-broad language that may rob men and women of the means to avoid unintended pregnancies – and ten Democrats afraid to be Democrats and at the very least, before voting for this bill, demand clarification on the language defining “abortion services” to ensure that they do not include contraceptives.Next, Aunt B gets to the real heart of the matter:
When the chips were down–and the chips are down, folks–in a bipartisan effort, your state legislators turned from your real problems to passionately embrace voting on some made up problem.
This means something very, very sad and scary for the state of Tennessee:
They don’t know what the fuck to do to help us.
I repeat, they don’t know what the fuck to do to help us.
And so, they are going to do nothing. Instead of trying to figure out what would bring jobs to Tennessee and what would make us an irresistible workforce, instead of passing the budget, they’ve turned their attention to theater–to making dramatic votes on made up crap in order to have stuff to put in their re-election materials.
Everyone who voted ‘yes’ on this has told you in as plain a language as our state legislature can give you that they have given up on trying to help us get back to work and have moved on to the important task of trying to help themselves get reelected.
That should put a chill in the bones of everyone in the state, regardless of your political persuasion.
And we're all supposed to get on the Democratic train after that? Well, I personally am lucky, as I have Mike Kernell, who never votes for shit like this (and has his own problems right now, send him all the good will that you can), and I have Beverly, one of the three SENATORS WITH GUTS listed above.
They sure as hell seem to be outnumbered these days, that's for sure. And it's a shame for every person in Tennessee who needs assistance, and not bullshit, from their legislators.
1 comment:
Well, welcome to the anger party! (Be there or be square.)
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