The Knoxville News Sentinel has another round of endorsements today, and another Republican trifecta for State Senate seats.

Sen. Jamie Woodson in the 6th Senate District is a given. This West Knox candidate is popular with the money pants crowd in Knoxville. Doug Overbey in the 8th Senate District, whose only opposition is a no-name independent, is another given. The KNS likes him because he supports tort reform, which takes away the last line of defense between regular people and big corporations who must be protected at all costs in the Republican trickle-down world.

In the 12th District, the KNS endorses Republican Ken Yager over Democrat Becky Ruppe. As we have mentioned before, this is a must win for Democrats to maintain an even split or have any chance of taking control of the State Senate. One of these candidates will replace Democrat Tommy Kilby, who decided not to run. A Yager win is a Republican pickup that almost guarantees to tip the scales.

Both Yager and Ruppe are qualified. Both have held the office of County Mayor/Executive (Ruppe still does), and Ruppe served on the board of education. Both claim economic development successes in their counties, although some say Yager almost economically developed Roane County out of business. Ruppe has a strong personal story of overcoming hardship and raising kids as a widowed single mother. Ruppe also has the endorsement of Gov. Phil Bredesen.

Going in to the home stretch, though, it appears the stars are aligning against Ruppe. And if she loses, she almost deserves it for running on the "God, gays, and guns" platform with other Tennessee Republicans. Unfortunately, that's what Democrats have to do in that district. Just ask Congressman Lincoln Davis.

But what this is really about is that the KNOXGOB prayer meeting club has instructed the Knoxville News Sentinel that they want a Republican majority in the State Senate to lock in Ron Ramsey as Speaker and Lt. Governor. Then while everyone is distracted by a flurry of anti-abortion, anti-gay, and guns and prayer in school bills, they'll start handing out corporate welfare and raping the environment just like the GOP big boys up in Washington. And if Bredesen were to take a position in Obama's cabinet, Ramsey becomes governor and they can really rock and roll.

So just to recap, Becky Ruppe in the 12th Senate District is a must win for Democrats.