The a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/aug/24/14th-amendment-never-meant-for-illegals/"Washington Post does a great rundown/a on why the children of illegal aliens may not be eligible for birth certificates. Texas has passed a bill like the one a href="http://lastcar.blogspot.com/2008/05/services-for-illegals.html"I ran a few years ago /athat says the 14th amendment does not cover illegal aliens. Thus no requirement by the states to issue state birth certificates to children of illegals.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-1758067560256326379?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

object width="640" height="385"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3MHpvTj86f0?fs=1amp;hl=en_US"/paramparam name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/paramparam name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/paramembed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3MHpvTj86f0?fs=1amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"/embed/object br /br /Hat tip:Steve Gilldiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-7252110835272956474?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

While I have held my tongue on the issue of the Murf mosque so far, things have gotten out of control. Just because you or I may not agree with someones religious point of view does not give us the right to stop them from religious assembly. Yes, there are parts of the Muslim faith that go directly against my own beliefs and in some ways I see the religion being used as a tool to facilitate destruction and violence against people of other faiths but it is those actions that should have consequences. Not the study of the religion itself.br /br /America was founded on freedom of religion. Not freedom from religion. There should not be any special ordinances put in place for building of a mosque any more then there should be for building a church, a synagogue or any house of worship. br /br /Burning a non threatening mosque is at the same level as burning churches in the 60s that supported integration, or imprisoning all Asians after Pearl Harbor. Who is next? Followers of Scientology? Mormons? Seventh day Adventists? Hindus? Catholics? br /br /I would like to think my own faith is strong enough to be compared to other religions and have them found wanting. Violence against a non threatening place of worship is unjustifiable in a country that has as one of the cornerstones of its being, religious freedom.br /br /After all isn't that why we left Europe? Do we want to become like some of the Muslim countries so many people espouse against and stifle all religious freedom?br /br /If we are to be that last beacon of hope and freedom, that shining city on the hill that all others look to with envy, we must allow that freedom of speech and religion even when it clashes with our own beliefs.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-5609525551175962989?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Many Dems seem to have a twisted view of Republicans. They seem to think all Republicans think about is cutting taxes. For those of you who don't live in the South, and think we are a bunch of uncivilized red necks - well, it's simply not true! br /br /In fact, we have several ladies' groups all over the South that meet regularly to discuss current events and develop needed home-skills.br /br /For example, this photo was recently taken at a Republican ladies group meeting in Karns Tennessee, where they were discussing the elections coming up in November 2010 and in 2012br /a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fhGgnxQudo8/TH3FnQ8HKnI/AAAAAAAAAdc/pNN9QrKvoGw/s1600/mom+gun.bmp"img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 269px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fhGgnxQudo8/TH3FnQ8HKnI/AAAAAAAAAdc/pNN9QrKvoGw/s400/mom+gun.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511778797324020338" //adiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-8062987577353213650?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

As my Facebook friends know I am in NY visiting family. I was reading the local paper about the legislature in NY and their per diem system. It was interesting in that legislators only receive full per diem when they stay the night. Otherwise it is about a third. Same if a legislator lives within 50 miles 1/3 per diem. br /br /Not bad ideas.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-8136546828777141797?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

I have often wondered why it is that the conservatives are called the “right” and the liberals are called the “left” until I read this verse in the Bible.br /br /Ecclesiates 10:2 (NIV)br /br /“The heart of the wise inclines to the right,br /but the heart of the fool to the left.”div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-7586052877685470330?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

You a href="http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/2010/08/knox-county-commission-to-appo.html"may have heard/a there is going to be an interim state senator for the 7th senatorial district.br /br /With Tim Burchett being sworn in as county mayor Sep. 1 he will be forced to give up his senate seat 2 months before a new senator is elected. br /br /While I have no vote in the matter (It will be appointed by the county commission) and I am not putting my name forward for the interim position, I do have a suggestion. Many people may find this odd but I think my former Republican primary opponent Steve Hill would be a great person to fill the seat. br /br /While I admit I did not know Steve previous to the election I grew to respect and like him as the race went on. br /br /Early on, Steve said "Stacey, when this race is over, one way or the other I hope we will be friends". Now I admit I have heard that sentence (or one like it) several times before while running and helping other people run for office. I have heard it so often I almost laugh now when I hear it because it is laughable how seldom it actually happens. Not that I don't want it to, but as races heat up, people get desperate or angry and let their emotions get in the way of running the clean race they originally intended. Once it gets dirty peoples feelings get hurt and friendships go away. br /br /Usually, people crack the final month of a race. Steve never did. He was first class the entire election. From start until after the finish. br /br /From the start I always felt Steve was running for the right reason. Not as some personal vendetta or for self aggrandizement but to help our state. He was open, honest and when we spoke on issues it was as friends. Even where we were on different sides of an issue (Not often) it was not to the point of anger and it was never personal. When my campaign advisers and I spoke, we all agreed if I were not running Steve would be a great alternative. After the race Steve called, conceded the race graciously and asked how he could help keep the seat Republican. He knew the importance of inter party support and why it is important that Republicans keep the seat. br /br /Now that there appears to be an opening for an interim appointment my mind goes to my thoughts earlier in the race. Steve is a class guy and would be a great senator.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-3630707604139640994?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

object width="480" height="385"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jd4ZbEATetg?fs=1amp;hl=en_US"/paramparam name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/paramparam name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/paramembed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Jd4ZbEATetg?fs=1amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"/embed/object br /br /Just because you are in the school a href="http://www.tnreport.com/2010/08/campfield-harpers-noose-comments-a-little-over-the-top/"does not mean you run the class/a.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-4660250558486514276?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fhGgnxQudo8/THEaf-cRvFI/AAAAAAAAAdU/H5tvuT_XGFw/s1600/sign+more.jpg"img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 168px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fhGgnxQudo8/THEaf-cRvFI/AAAAAAAAAdU/H5tvuT_XGFw/s400/sign+more.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508212955890695250" //adiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-2990341545800843116?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Here is a snipit of my interview with TN Reports. br /br /object width="640" height="385"param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tc2HI10urgo?fs=1amp;hl=en_US"/paramparam name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/paramparam name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/paramembed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Tc2HI10urgo?fs=1amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"/embed/objectdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-6635229359049213444?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

"Stacey, you are David Hasselhoff, Tennessee is your Germany and the Democrat party is the rest of the world"div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-4125616047981581090?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

So close, yet so far away. The Dems have finally got a href="http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/2010/08/senate-democrats-attack-stacey.html"one small issue right/a but it only makes them more wrong. br /br /I said in a past post that the failing Pre K program was still partly funded by lottery funds. br /br /Yes, I say failing because by a href="http://terryfrank.net/?p=3508"the governors own study on the results of Tennessee Pre K has proven that Pre K not only has no lasting positive effect but also, in some cases, has had negative effects./abr /br /I guess the Democrats have lost trust in their Governor anda href="http://www.comptroller1.state.tn.us/repository/RE/prekeval08.pdf" his own study/a. I am sorry to see that the Democrats have turned on their own like this.br /br /The Democrats are right in one small area, but it only makes them more wrong. For years the lottery paid for the failing Pre K program. This year, for the first time, the governor shifted the cost of pre K funding away from lottery proceeds and into the general budget (in attempt to expand and make more permanent his failing program). br /br /How is that worse? In the past, the failing Pre K program was mostly limited to the lottery funds. Now the failing pre K program is being propped up by funds that could go into K-12 or higher ed funding. br /br /Why do the Democrats hate funding our childrens best opportunity for a quality education in Tennessee? Who knows.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-1054456926331090481?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Nathan Vaughns a href="http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9025597" love for Obama and Pelosi/a may not be as popular now as it was a year ago.br /br /I would expect that quote in about a dozen mail pieces.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-8669543046871878900?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

That the Baptists are starting to baptize by sprinkling,br /br /The Methodists are using wet-wipes,br /br /Presbyterians are giving rain checks,br /br /And the Catholics are praying for the wine to turnbr / back into water!br /br /br /IT'S SO HOT AND DRY IN TENNESSEE....the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground.br /br /....the trees are whistling for the dogs.br /br /....the best parking place is determined by shade instead of distancebr /br /....hot water comes from both taps.br /br /....you can make sun tea instantly.br /br /....you learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.br /br /....the temperature drops below 95 F (35 C) and you feel a little chilly.br /br /....you discover that in July it only takes two fingers to steer your car.br /br /....you discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.br /br /....you actually burn your hand opening the car door.br /br /....you break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 A.M.br /br /....your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I getbr / knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death"?br /br /....you realize that asphalt has a liquid stage.br /br /....the potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter.br /br /....the cows are giving evaporated milk.br /br /....farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggsdiv class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-7102288676356482765?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

a href="http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/2010/08/opining-on-the-14th-amendment.html"People are starting to take notice of the problems created by the questionable 14th amendment/a. You maya href="http://lastcar.blogspot.com/2008/06/it-is-just-that-they-know-so-much-that.html" remember me bringing this issue up over 2 years ago./a The 14th was originally put forward to allow citizenship status to children of slaves (slaves who were brought to America against their will but were in the country legally). Now it is being used as a loophole for illegal aliens to claim similar citizenship status. br /br /I brought forward legislation that says while some people think the 14th amendment was brought forward to also cover illegal aliens, it has never been (to my knowledge) ruled upon by the supreme court. br /br /So until ruled otherwise, it is the state, not the federal government who have the right to issues or not issue state birth certificates. Therefore the state could put requirements on the issuance or non issuance of their state birth certificates.br /br /My legislation said one parent on a birth certificate had to be a legal immigrant or citizen to get a state issued birth certificate.br /br /If the federal government wanted to issue federal birth certificates to who ever and for whatever they want, they could, but the states are not be required to do it based on a questionable amendment.br /br /If the states do not hold the rights to issue a state birth certificate then birth certificates would and should be standardised and paid for by the fed and not the states. A state like say Hawaii couldn't offer 2 separate types of certificates (an actual birth certificate and a certificate of live birth) to whoever they want for any reason they want.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-1074444621514883898?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

a href="http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/2010/08/opining-on-the-14th-amendment.html"People are starting to take notice of the problems created by the questionable 14th amendment/a. You maya href="http://lastcar.blogspot.com/2008/06/it-is-just-that-they-know-so-much-that.html" remember me bringing this issue up over 2 years ago./a The 14th was originally put forward to allow citizenship status to children of slaves (slaves who were brought to America against their will but were in the country legally). Now it is being used as a loophole for illegal aliens to claim similar citizenship status. br /br /I brought forward legislation to say while the 14th amendment was questionably brought forward to also cover illegal aliens, it has never been (to my knowledge) ruled upon by the supreme court. br /br /So until ruled otherwise, it is the state, not the federal government who have the right to issues or not issue state birth certificates. Therefore the state could put requirements on the issuance or non issuance of their state birth certificates.br /br /My legislation said one parent on a birth certificate had to be a legal immigrant or citizen to get a state issued birth certificate.br /br /If the federal government wanted to issue federal birth certificates they could, but the states are not be required to do it based on a questionable amendment.br /br /If the states do not hold the rights to issue a state birth certificate then birth certificates would be standardised by the fed and not the states. A state like say Hawaii couldn't offer 2 separate types of certificates (an actual birth certificate and a certificate of live birth) to whoever they want for any reason they want.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-1074444621514883898?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

a href="http://blogs.knoxnews.com/humphrey/2010/08/legislative-campaign-news-note.html"Tom Humphrey drops some more info /aon a href="http://lastcar.blogspot.com/2010/08/never-mind-my-2x4-get-your-splinter.html"Jimmy Kyles partisan little hissy fit I pointed out in my last post/a by pointing out how the bill to spend lottery funds on energy efficient schools that Kyle blamed on Republicans was not put forward by Republicans at all but was actually run by a DEMOCRAT in the house!div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-4483722705535185490?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Old habits die hard. I know Democrats are hard up to find any issue that resonates with the people of Tennessee and a href="http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/aug/15/lawmakers-must-stop-raiding-lottery-scholarship/"poor old Jimmy Kyle just doesn't know what to do as Democrat leader,/a but is he really having a hissey fit because Republicans supported energy efficiency in schools? I always thought Democrats were for energy efficiency? br /br /Possibly, instead of always screaming "Those darn, evil Republicans" Senator Kyle could talk to his own party. When Republicans tried to make it so schools could use the money for what ever infrastructure needs they had, be it to fix a leaking roof, fix collapsing stairwells and the such it was Democrats who blocked the move saying it should go for "Light bulbs" and energy efficiency projects only. br /br /If Senator Kyle does not like the lottery funds being used for things other then scholarships, possibly Mr Kyle should talk to his own governor who was the one who proposed the budget.br /br /Possibly Senator Kyle should ask the governor why he started and continues to raid the lottery scholarship fund to pay for a program that has repeatedly proven to be without long term value. The pre K program. br /br /Would Senator Kyle support ending Pre K?br /br /Possibly Senator Kyle should just look in the mirror. If I recall correctly, he was one of the people who voted to allow scholarship funds to be used for things other then scholarships when the lottery bill first passed. He voted for the governors Pre K program that was originally fully funded by the lottery scholarship fund and continues to be funded by the lottery scholarship fund. He even voted for the budget this year that spent the lottery funds on energy efficiency. br /br /Of course when in doubt it is always easier to scream "Those darn evil Republicans!" then taking any personal responsibility.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-2452822101338495822?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

I know it was a few days ago but Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey was featured on The Daily Show August 10th a href="http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-august-10-2010-jason-bateman"you can view it here./a His appearance starts about 7:30 into the show.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-1463794624799550642?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div

Lloyd Daugherty, the chairman of the Tennessee Conservative Union has suffered a massive heart attack while at his home in North Knoxville. br /br /Lloyd has long been known for his being a leader against a state income tax and having been the man who helped lead the charge to remove current UT professor Penny White from the bench. The only time a judge has been removed since the unconstitutional yes/no retention vote system was set up. br /br /He is currently in Park West Hospital and has had 2 stints put in his heart. One opened up an artery that was 100% blocked, the other opened up an artery that was 80% blocked. br /br /Please keep Lloyd in your prayers.div class="blogger-post-footer"img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/11335611-4981178054576152397?l=lastcar.blogspot.com' alt='' //div