Since we're talking about who should drop out and calling for "Superdelegates" to decide the Democratic primary RIGHT NOW, maybe Congress should just go ahead and convene the Electoral College and send McCain packing. Here's why:

National Polls (RCP Average):

Clinton v. McCain: Clinton 44.8%, McCain 45.8%
Obama v. McCain: Obama 44.6%, McCain 44.4%

Well within the margin of error. Clearly McCain has not made his case, despite the benefit of his party's incumbency, early coronation, the alleged weakness of his opponents, and the endorsement of sitting president George W. Bush.

Popular vote (Green Papers):

McCain: 7,441,267
Dem: 27,815,851 (Obama: 13,961,775, Clinton: 13,854,076)

Wow. Not too many ways you can spin these numbers. Clearly, McCain is toast and should drop out for the sake of unity, etc. etc.

(Link...)

... I'm not sure yet what the history of how this policy was formed, but it needs to be amended IMMEDIATELY. We must also add specific wording in an ordinance for protection of whistleblowers, protection of private information (SSNs, medical information) that may come in an email to a commissioner, and close the loophole that would allow Commissioners to use private e-mail accounts to send county-related work product that would normally be covered by the Open Records Act.

Right now, the ORA and the Knox County Policy only work to encourage County Officials to use Yahoo, Gmail, or other personal accounts that provide no accountability.

BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE 2008 – visit BigBrothersBigSistersETN.org
Coming to an Alley Near You!
Have fun with coworkers, friends or family while also helping children. Bowl For Kids’ Sake benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee. Every dollar raised goes toward uniting at-risk children with caring adult mentors. It is a FUNtastic way to spend time together and help our community.

More details after the break...

BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE 2008 – visit BigBrothersBigSistersETN.org
Coming to an Alley Near You!
Have fun with coworkers, friends or family while also helping children. Bowl For Kids’ Sake benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee. Every dollar raised goes toward uniting at-risk children with caring adult mentors. It is a FUNtastic way to spend time together and help our community.

When & Where
Teams choose a 1 hour time slot to bowl:
April 3rd ● University of Tennessee ● Down Under ● 4 - 9 pm
April 5th ● Maryville ● Crest Lanes ● 9 am – 12 pm
April 10 & 11 ● Knoxville ● Strike & Spare/Western Avenue ● 4 – 9 pm
April 12th ● Knoxville ● Strike & Spare/Western Avenue ● 10 am – 3 pm

To Participate
• Form a team of 2-4 people
• Pick a team name. Be creative – you could win a prize.
• Make your reservation for the day, hour and location you would like to bowl. Prime times fill up fast so reserve early.
• Start collecting donations that will help unite children with a mentor - their Big Brother or Sister. You can request donations using our online fundraising system or the old fashioned way – with a pledge sheet and a pen.
• Each team member raises at least $25: $50 earns a t-shirt, $250 a tote bag, $500 a Goody’s gift card ($50) and $1,000 a 1-hour massage.
• Teams win prizes for best dressed, best team name & most spirited each hour; a well-timed gutter ball may even get you a prize!
• We provide the lanes, shoes, food and LOTS of FUN!

Back by popular Demand:
• Great prizes based on fundraising levels reached from $25 up to $1,000!
• Internet based registration and donations

Register today or find out more at:
Link... or (865) 523-2179

BOWL FOR KIDS’ SAKE 2008 – visit BigBrothersBigSistersETN.org
Coming to an Alley Near You!
Have fun with coworkers, friends or family while also helping children. Bowl For Kids’ Sake benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Tennessee. Every dollar raised goes toward uniting at-risk children with caring adult mentors. It is a FUNtastic way to spend time together and help our community.

When & Where
Teams choose a 1 hour time slot to bowl:
April 3rd ● University of Tennessee ● Down Under ● 4 - 9 pm
April 5th ● Maryville ● Crest Lanes ● 9 am – 12 pm
April 10 & 11 ● Knoxville ● Strike & Spare/Western Avenue ● 4 – 9 pm
April 12th ● Knoxville ● Strike & Spare/Western Avenue ● 10 am – 3 pm

To Participate
• Form a team of 2-4 people
• Pick a team name. Be creative – you could win a prize.
• Make your reservation for the day, hour and location you would like to bowl. Prime times fill up fast so reserve early.
• Start collecting donations that will help unite children with a mentor - their Big Brother or Sister. You can request donations using our online fundraising system or the old fashioned way – with a pledge sheet and a pen.
• Each team member raises at least $25: $50 earns a t-shirt, $250 a tote bag, $500 a Goody’s gift card ($50) and $1,000 a 1-hour massage.
• Teams win prizes for best dressed, best team name & most spirited each hour; a well-timed gutter ball may even get you a prize!
• We provide the lanes, shoes, food and LOTS of FUN!

Back by popular Demand:
• Great prizes based on fundraising levels reached from $25 up to $1,000!
• Internet based registration and donations

Register today or find out more at:
Link... or (865) 523-2179

Please help us improve this site by taking the short 2008 Reader Survey. Thanks!

UPDATE: The survey is closed. Thanks for participating!

Newly appointed Commissioner Victoria DeFreese remarked in last week's Commission meeting that she had received "countless" e-mails, faxes, letters, and phone calls regarding the recent p-card audit.

Now, the Mayor's office has made a formal request to Commissioner DeFreese under the Tennessee Open Records Act requesting access to copies of all correspondence including letters, faxes, and emails she has received regarding the p-card audit, and also phone records and any logs or notes related to phone calls she has received about the audit.

Not sure why they would want to keep poking this hornet's nest with a stick. At any rate, I guess somebody will have to count them now. Wonder how many were from Paul Pinkston?

UPDATE: DeFreese responds, will hold a press conference at 3PM to discuss the request. According to the report, her position is that the correspondence is not public record. There's also something about "communication 'forged' by citizens." Probably not what she meant to say.

UPDATE: WBIR contacts an expert who says if the correspondence was received in transaction of public business then it is public record, adding "Ethically speaking, I don't know why (Commissioner DeFreese) would want to withhold it." Good question. Boxes and boxes of correspondence would certainly be embarrassing for the mayor. Why not just produce them?

UPDATE: From the KNS: "At any rate, DeFreese said she doesn't have any of the e-mails or other communications because she gets so many she doesn't keep them." Seriously? Game, set, match.

Will we ever know the absolute truth?

According to an article in The Independent (UK):

Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take "immediate steps" to reduce exposure to their radiation.

...

It draws on growing evidence – exclusively reported in the IoS in October – that using handsets for 10 years or more can double the risk of brain cancer. Cancers take at least a decade to develop, invalidating official safety assurances based on earlier studies which included few, if any, people who had used the phones for that long.

What is the truth anyway? We have selective truth. We have scientific truth. Some have religious truth.

We have never used our cellphones very much. We probably average 75 minutes or less a month for the two of us. I wonder what France, Germany, and the European Environment Agency consider reduced use.

Link...

I have been reading the Halls Shopper news for 37 years now. Before the internet,the Shopper was and is a good reliable source of local news. One of the good things about living in Knoxville is having the Halls Shopper each week.

It appears as if Sandra stepped on a few toes with last week opinion piece. It appears three individuals took issue with it being on the front page.