The legendary Jim Hightower will be speaking in Nashville at the Tennessee Alliance for Progress Conference (TAP). We don't often have such a tremendous voice for progressive values here in Nashville.
You really don't want to miss the TAP conference (April 28-29, but see ad in sidebar). Progressives from all over the state will be there! I'll be there, and I'll be doing one of my blogging 101 workshops.
I'll have more on the TAP conference later, but check out the article at TN Indy Media and the TAP website.
Here's a Hightower teaser:
by Jim Hightower
Out in the desert, even in the starkest environment, you sometimes come across a flower—and what a joy it is to behold, all the more appreciated because it stands alone!
That’s how I felt when I saw Sen. Russ Feingold of Wisconsin proudly standing against George W. Bush’s secret, illegal and unconstitutional program of spying on the American people. In the politically desolate environment of the U.S. Senate—where the members blend together in shades of lifeless brown and bend so easily to the autocratic winds of the Bush/Cheney imperial presidency—it is a delight to see a flower of integrity and senatorial strength.
When he introduced his resolution to censure Bush, Feingold dared to speak the simple and honest truth: “The president has violated the law. Congress must respond.” He noted that, “The founders anticipated abuses of executive power by creating a balance of powers in the Constitution. We must meet a serious transgression by the president with a serious response. The American people look to us to take action. In our system of government, no one, not even the president, is above the law.”
Feingold was standing for the rule of law. Yet only two other Democrats have stood with him; the rest ran for the bushes (so to speak). Republican Senators were worse, fulminating against Feingold for actually trying to be what senators are supposed to be: A check and balance. Republican leader Bill Frist was especially despicable, charging that Feingold was giving comfort to terrorists by suggesting “that there is in any way a lack of support for our commander-in-chief who is leading us with a bold vision.”
Apparently Frist is so blinded by the glare of executive power that he doesn’t know more than two-thirds of Americans—and 72 percent of the troops in Iraq—do not support Bush’s “bold vision.”
This is Jim Hightower saying ... Let’s show a little support for the flower of the senate. Say thanks to Russ Feingold by calling 202-224-5323.
Jim Hightower TAP Conference Progressive Conference Nashville Tennessee Feingold Bush
