Phoning it in - NRCC launches robocalls against Davis, Cooper

The Politico's Martin Kady has the story on the robocalls which are going out into 16 House districts now represented by Democrats, including Jim Cooper (TN-5) and Lincoln Davis (TN-4).

The call script apparently attacks Democrats for supporting the economic stimulus bill. But Cooper voted against it.

But who cares about truth when making stuff up is so much more fun?

Thanks, Republicans.

Convention Center and Healthcare Legislation

If Erik Cole wanted to make his point, he should have talked about the Senate's healthcare legislation, which is very unpopular in polls but ought to be very beneficial for the vast majority of Americans.

The proof is in the pudding.

Sheldon Whitehouse made that point pretty convincingly on the Senate's healthcare legislation.

Of course, Cole isn't as supportive of the convention center as Whitehouse is of the Senate legislation.

Which gives me an idea ... what concessions can Cole get for District 7 in return for his support of the Convention Center?

(I mean, the trees were great, but...)

Ponies for All!

More on the Convention Center

Emily Evans writes a withering criticism of Erik Cole on the convention center and comparisons to World War II and Civil Rights legislation.

Cole says he hasn't made up his mind.

Thankfully, he wants to listen to constituents. And he's offered a forum to do that on January 12, 6-8 PM at the East Police Precinct on Trinity Lane.

Should be interesting.

In other news (and not taking sides here), opponents of the Convention Center project have come up with a pretty solid 3-minute argument by video.

Nashville Convention Center - Leadership and Grassroots

Mike Byrd has a great post up on the Convention Center debate among Metro Council members and the public.

Erik Cole (my council member, I'm in District 7) is trying to argue that the city's leadership must sometimes make choices that are temporarily unpopular in order to guide the future direction of the city. This is a point that I basically agree with.

But Byrd makes a much more important point - that the real argument isn't about the project's popularity so much as what's in the best interests of constituents.

Is it better for our city's identity, our economic growth, our downtown urban core, and our residents to have a major capital expenditure on a project that is a HUGE act of faith in a future that's not looking terribly bright? Or is it better that we focus on doing the things we know will work (i.e., go through a referendum process, ask for specific 'buy-in' from Nashvillians, get the money squared away up front, etc.) instead of shooting first and asking questions later?

I have to say that I think our Metro Public Schools are much more deserving of our civic investment and will do more for the welfare of our city (and our property values). Nashville might be a "friendly city" but that doesn't mean we should give away the farm and spend a ginormous amount of money on a project that doesn't have a guaranteed ROI.

The real issue for Cole, Mayor Karl Dean, and the entire Metro Council is that it takes hard work and real community organization in order to build up the political will for a significant project like the Convention Center. Dean's temperament doesn't really give him the patience for this kind of hard work. If Dean and the Metro Council are serious about making Nashville a better place to live, work, and play, then they should be doing a better job of making the case and organizing through real community organization, not through hiring PR strategists to run an astroturf campaign.

PS - I'm still pissed that they closed Opryland.

A Christmas tree for Senators

New York Times has the details...

John Conyers Rallies House Progressives for Medicare-for-All

Tom P of Daily Kos has the news, including the full press release from Rep. Conyers' congressional office website.

Highlights:

I believe competition, as provided through a national Medicare-like public health insurance option and the repeal of the industry’s antitrust exemption, is a necessary component of true reform....

Relying on private insurers to police other private insurers is like asking the fox to guard the hen house.

But Conyers has not given up on reform and wants to pass the best bill, not kill the bill:

I look forward to working with the Senate and House Leadership to ensure that the final health care bill address these core principles of affordability, competition, and progressive financing.

Filibuster Abuse by GOP

Southern Beale is all over it.

I don’t see how abolishing the filibuster will do anything but give fodder to the “Democrats are totalitarian Fascists/Socialists” tea bagger set.

But here’s what I don’t get. If the Republicans insist on gumming up the works, threatening to filibuster everything from this healthcare bill, to judicial nominations to the federal appeals court (remember when "the president's judicial nominees deserve an up or down vote”?), to an extension of unemployment insurance, to whether D.C. should have House representation, well, I say: call their bluff, Democrats....

Democrats need to play some hardball here, instead of constantly capitulating to the minority party. If the Republicans are going to insist on breaking our system, then for crying out loud, make them own it.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse fights back against GOP scare tactics

(h/t to TPM for editing and posting the video)

Impotent GOP set to retool strategy at lunch today

Bob Corker reports that Senate Republicans, licking their wounds from a failed attempt to block the Senate's version of the healthcare reform bill, will try to find a new strategy at lunch today.