It has been too long ...

Since I last posted.

but here I am again.

The political season is shaping up in Tennessee. Attorney Bob Tuke is challenging U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander. Also running in the Democratic primary is Knox County Clerk Mike Padgett.

Tuke should win. He is a former TN Democratic Party Chair and currently heads-up the Obama effort in Tennessee.

He should win the primary, that is.

Lamar will still be our Senator in 2009.

On the state level, former Lt. Governor John Wilder is retiring from the Senate after 44 years of service, 36 of them as Speaker.

This makes it a bit more likely that the GOP will have a majority in the Senate when the legislature reconvenes in January of 2009. The current split is 16-16 with one Independent.

Races that were expected to be challenged and now look safe for the Republicans include Jim Tracy's seat in Murfreesboro (SD 16) and Diane Black's in Sumner and Robertson Countis (SD 18).

Both are well-liked and have a decent amount of campaign cash. And the filing deadline is Thursday and neither has an opponent yet.

The Democrats do have a strong candidate running in Senate District 12 to replace Tommy Kilby, who is retiring. This will be a tight race and probably involve lots of money on both sides.

The House will likely retain the current 53-46 Democratic majority. Both parties have 5 members leaving or retiring.

After Election Day 2008, candidates will start working in earnest on the Governor's race in 2010. The most frequently mentioned Democrat is Congressman Lincoln Davis, a former state rep and state senator. Other possible candidates include former House Majority Leader Kim McMillan, former Nashville Mayor (also a former House Majority Leader) Bill Purcell, and currenet Senate Democratic Leader Jim Kyle.

On the Republican side, Bill Frist is mentioned quite a bit as is Zach Wamp. Other possible candidates include Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey and Knoxville state Senator Jamie Woodson. Of course, if Frist runs, he will not face a serious GOP challenge and will be favored to win over any Democrat.

So, I'm back. More to post as the season develops.

Yes We Can!

It is Super Tuesday!

Yes We Can change American politics!

Yes We Can elect Barack Obama!

Yes We Can reject the cynicism and desperation of the past and usher in a new era of leadership in the White House.

As I was driving home last night, I saw one of those new digital billboards -- the sign was blue with the word "OBAMA" in white and the Obama campaign symbol at the top.

Thousands of people driving home on I-65 saw that sign. And I'm sure there were others just like it around Nashville and around Tennessee.

I smiled.

Something is happening in America. Record crowds in Idaho. Huge endorsements in California.

The landscape is changing. I watch Obama speak at rallies and see people crying in the audience.

People who never cared about politics, people who had grown cynical, people who felt they had no reason to get involved.

today, they are saying: YES WE CAN!

This is one of the most inspiring and potentially transformative movements I have ever seen.

One year ago, when Barack Obama entered the race, people said he was a nice guy who had a bright future -- but that he should "wait."

He didn't wait. He built a movement. Until December, he was down in the polls. Running 2nd to Hillary, but a distant second.

After Iowa, that changed.

It changed because Barack Obama and his campaign organized people, asked them to work hard, and brought thousands of new people into the political process.

And today, it can change again. Obama will win in some key states. Others may be close. And yes, Hillary will win in NY and other places.

But if the delegate battle remains close, if Obama has a surprise win in a place like California or Arizona, the momentum will be on his side. And the race will move to contests in places like Ohio and Pennsylvania. With time to campaign and organize and build in these states, Obama should do well.

Today, if you are in a Super Tuesday state, VOTE!

The Past vs. The Future

Tennessee finds itself in a moment. A chance to break with the past and head toward the future.

There are new members of the State Senate who have replaced leaders of the past -- some of whom were indicted in Tennessee Waltz, others who felt too much pressure from life and resigned.

There is a new Speaker -- a transitional Speaker, not a transformative one. A different voice, to be sure -- but certainly not a voice who is looking forward.

2008 can be a transformative election. Andy Berke can win a full, four-year term in Chattanooga. Jamie Woodson can claim a second term at the age of 36.

And a new, more progressive, younger Democratic majority can emerge.

Democrats will be fighting to defend John Wilder's seat. Deference to the past, certainly.

And they will fight hard to elect a strong candidate from District 12 to replace Tommy Kilby.

The real battle for new leadership and a new majority, then, comes down to races centered in Senate Districts 16 (Murfreesboro and surrounding) and 18 (Sumner and Robertson counties).

In 16, Senator Jim Tracy appears relatively strong with a record of working hard and satisfying his constituents. His votes have not always been the most desirable (he voted against funding for schools by way of a cigarette tax in 2007) but he seems to be fairly likeable.

Senate District 18, then, seems the most likely to produce a new Democrat and a new majority.

Diane Black, who also serves as Republican Caucus Chair, represents this district.

While in the House, she had a reputation of doing outstanding constituent service in spite of her wrong-headed votes against every state budget.

Her new Senate persona is more arrogant and less helpful. And she has kept up the record of voting in a way that does not serve her constituents well.

Instead, she has sought to cement control over Sumner County politics. She was instrumental in electing the first Republican Sheriff in Sumner County (Bob Barker). She also got involved in races for Criminal Court Judge and Trustee -- both races won by Republicans.

She has made clear to elected officials that they will either become Republicans or they will lose to Republicans.

Hers is the old-style politics of the past. The politics of the Ward Boss seeking to expand power.

And it is not serving the community well.

Had one more Senator voted like Diane Black on the cigarette tax, the schools would be short $10.7 million this year.

Her lack of leadership has ensured that Sumner County remains the only county in the state without a single state-funded Pre-K classroom.

Senate District 18 will be a battleground in 2008. To win, a Democrat will need to raise at least $500,000 and then spend it very wisely.

To win, a new style of politics -- organizing from the ground up -- will need to be employed in order to break the stranglehold Black has on the levers of power.

But let's be clear. The race in Senate District 18 will be a race about the past (Diane Black) and the future (a new, dynamic candidate willing to work hard and challenge the status quo).

The only problem: That candidate has not yet been identified.

The Great Need of the Hour

On Sunday, Barack Obama spoke at Ebenezer Baptist Church. He chose as his theme Dr. King's focus on Unity as The Great Need of the Hour.

Obama is fond of saying he's running for President because of what Dr. King called, "the fierce urgency of now."

Now, at this hour, our need is unity.

Obama's campaign is a national one and his message understandably relates to the crisis of excessive partisanship in Washington -- division caused by a President who stubbornly moves forward even when all indicators point to his being wrong.

America needs to move forward -- and move forward together.

But my point today is that Tennessee, where I now live, has a similar need. At a time when an approaching Governor's race and a nearly evenly split legislature means heightened partisanship, we need unity. We need to move forward.

Our state faces great challenges in education and health care and economic development. In 2007, the legislature had an opportunity to release funds to help with school construction costs around the state. Instead, they went home. They felt good because we had a surplus and because schools overall got more money and because they got to engage in some pork barrel spending.

But the kids in schools with 10 or 12 portables didn't feel so good. These semi-permanent buildings on the campuses of too many schools in Sumner County (my home) and others rarely have bathrooms, some lack windows, and they keep kids away from their schoolmates -- it's almost as if 100-200 kids in some cases are a part of a separate school.

In one instance I know of, an elementary school has had the same portables for over 20 years.

Every corner of that building is used for instruction. No space is wasted.

And the community has given up asking for new classrooms because "it's always been this way."

It didn't have to be -- but the legislature went home.

I've never met a four- or five-year-0ld child was a Democrat or a Republican. But I know every child deserves a good education -- in the school building that's not crowded -- and not in a portable.

I know that every four-year-old in our state should have access to one of the highest-quality Pre-K programs in the United States -- but that certain voices in the legislature want to restrict Pre-K and prevent its expansion. These children can't lobby, they can't ask for what they need, and they don't care about a silly fight among grown-ups they don't know in a place that seems far away.

I also know that Tennessee's CoverKids program has some of the most stringent restrictions of any Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the country. What that means is enrollment is low, and many kids are left without health care.

That's not a Democratic or Republican issue -- it's a moral imperative.

But improving our schools, building new ones, providing easy access to quality health care for kids -- those issues require more political will than is currently being exercised.

The great need of the hour in Tennessee is new leadership at the legislature. Leadership that supports Governor Bredesen on key issues like Pre-K. Leadership that negotiates a reasonable compromise so funds are available for school construction. And leadership that stands up to Governor Bredesen and the bureaucracy and pushes for a CoverKids program that truly does cover all children in our state.

In an election year focused on change -- on real, fundamental change and not just rhetorical change, anything is possible.

With hard work, with commitment, with focus -- "the way it's always been" --doesn't have to be anymore.

2008 presents us with a tremendous opportunity -- not just at the national level -- but here in Tennessee as well.

A chance to change and grow and move forward as one state. New voices need to be heard in the halls of power.

The urgency is fierce.

The time is now.

Tennessee Early Voting

Early voting began in Tennessee yesterday. I am proud to say I was among the first Tennesseans to cast a vote for Barack Obama.

Obama has a Nashville office and recently opened an office in Memphis. The Nevada campaign is heating up -- and so is South Carolina. Through both of these contests, Tennesseans will be able to vote early.

Vote early. Vote Obama.

We have a race ...

So, after Obama's convincing win in Iowa, Hillary narrowly wins NH.

the race is on. And 2 people are in it.

John Edwards will likely see a steady decline in his support. I would suspect that many of his supporters would vote for Barack Obama.

It's good that we have a race. Voters should thoroughly vet Clinton and Obama and decide who they want. I prefer Obama, of course. And I think in time, many Democrats will agree that he's the candidate we should nominate. His organization is fabulous and he is electable and creates all sorts of challenges for the Republicans.

One more day!

Obama is opening up a big lead on Clinton. CNN has it at 10 points, USA Today at 13.

This is incredible. The crowds in NH appear to be incredible. A win in NH will likely lead to wins in Nevada and South Carolina.

Hillary will have a tough time recovering from a second consecutive loss -- especially if it is not close.

BUT -- it is NOT over. People in NH who support OBAMA must go vote! This is becoming a movement. It's not about Barack Obama anymore. He is becoming a vehicle for change. Sure, he's a smart guy and he'll make a fine President. But it's about the people from all walks of life who believe it is time for a new day in America.

Young voters who are staking their claim on the political system. New voters who have been disenchanted for far too long. I get the feeling I'm watching history. I wonder if this is how my dad felt as a young man watching Bobby Kennedy?

And on the GOP side, Huckabee may be changing the face of the party. At least now they are talking about working people. Huckabee is forcing the issue. That's good for the Republicans. Of course, if Huckabee is not the nominee, they may well ignore this lesson. That would be a mistake. Republicans, if they are to survive, must start representing those working class voters who consistently give power to the GOP -- instead of the small group of wealthy donors who benefit from many Republican policies.

While the Republicans sort out their identity, though, something electric is happening for Democrats.

NH, your time has come! Vote for change, hope, and a new America. Vote Obama!