Well, What Did You Think Was Going to Happen?

And, like clockwork, here it comes: the appeals to refrain from terminating Sherri Goforth, coming from some of the very folks who pushed this issue to the point where such an outcome is now the most likely possibility.

We've been here before. Remember Bill Hobbs back in 2006? A big deal was made in the press about that goofy Muslim cartoon he put on the Internet, his employer (Belmont University) was mentioned in the articles (even though Belmont had nothing to do with that cartoon), putting Belmont in a position where it really had no choice but to save face publicly by giving Hobbs the heave-ho. I remember talking to some folks in the local press back then and getting this general reaction: "Well, that's silly. They shouldn't fire him." As though the press accounts somehow had nothing to do with it; as though Belmont was just sitting around and just up and arbitrarily decided to can him. It's like someone shooting a guy in the head and being surprised that they fall over dead. "Well, I'll be damned. He died just like that. Huh. Never saw that coming."

The probable outcome of this episode will be the termination (one way or the other) of Sherri Goforth. So, don't act surprised. And don't act like you had nothing to do with it. Own it. Hell, be proud of it, the "greater good" and all of that. I honestly doubt this will result in "some good com[ing] out of this incident" with "lessons...learned so our state won’t be lambasted again nationally." But, hey maybe it will. I just hope that this one woman's job and professional reputation (seriously, who would hire her for the near future?) is worth all of that. Color me skeptical. And, again, be careful, because you could be the next one in someone's sights.

For more on this general concept, Google "reasonably foreseeable" and see what you come up with.

Insert "Goforth" Pun Here

Like most local conservative types, I spend a lot of time worrying about what Mike Byrd thinks of me, so let me just say for the record that there is no defense for that email. That said, a few quick things:

1. There are political staffers on the Hill and there are clerical/constituent service staffers on the Hill, the latter far outnumbering the former. Goforth was not a political staffer, like, say Lance Frizzell or someone like that. She was in the second, apolitical category, Doesn't make what she did right, and, yes, I believe it's a potentially terminable offense, but let's get a little perspective here: Sherri Goforth is no Bill Hobbs.

2. Her biggest offense, from a professional perspective, was embarrassing her legislative member, Diana Black (speaking of punnable surnames...), who will have this following her around for approximately the rest of her political career.

3. Tennessee Republicans continue to have a PR problem. And it's completely self-inflicted. Don't blame people like Jeff Woods for shooting you. Blame yourself for giving him the guns and bullets. And--you know--stop doing that.

What Goes Up...

Well, this was inevitable, but it took four-and-a-half months to get there. Not a bad run, really.

Remember, no matter who we have as president, at least half of the country is pretty much always going to have some kind of beef with him (or her).

You Might Need a Life If...

...you've ever gone into a place of business and demanded that the proprietor change the television channel because it gets your political panties in a wad.

Here's a crazy thought: if it means that much to you, frequent another place of business. Just for the record, political prudes are no better than the moral sort. Find something else to worry about.

Richard Posner

My theme is the intellectual decline of conservatism, and it is notable that the policies of the new conservatism are powered largely by emotion and religion and have for the most part weak intellectual groundings. That the policies are weak in conception, have largely failed in execution, and are political flops is therefore unsurprising. The major blows to conservatism, culminating in the election and programs of Obama, have been fourfold: the failure of military force to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives; the inanity of trying to substitute will for intellect, as in the denial of global warming, the use of religious criteria in the selection of public officials, the neglect of management and expertise in government; a continued preoccupation with abortion; and fiscal incontinence in the form of massive budget deficits, the Medicare drug plan, excessive foreign borrowing, and asset-price inflation.

Just In Case You Thought the President Was Busy...

...he apparently isn't.

P.S. Gosh, being the ones in charge sucks doesn't it?

Pens and Swords

“I appreciate that,” Christopher said. “But I would have done it anyway. One must take a stand. One simply must.”