Keith Olbermann's situation is not like that of Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Georgiana Vines who was removed from covering now-State Senator Stacey Campfield's campaign because of a conflict of interest. Vines is required to at least feign impartiality because she is acting as a straight journalist, one of the reasons for E.W. Scripps Company's policy on it's employees not being allowed to be involved in politics. The world knows where Keith Olbermann stands, and though this writer does not share Olbermann's views at all, he not only has the right to publicize those views in this country (just as the rest of us have the right to publicize ours), but more power to him if he can get NBC Universal to pay him to do so. When NBC News hired Olbermann, they knew exactly what they were getting-an unabashedly liberal Democratic commentator. It is neither realistic nor fair for MSNBC to hold Olbermann to a standard off the air that they do not already hold him to when the cameras are rolling.
The problem is that saying that sounds good on paper, but the practical implementation of a policy of truly limiting government is quite another matter entirely. We look to our mother country and we see the end result of 50 years of straight socialism being that Britain can no longer afford it anymore. The cuts that the Cameron Government are determined to bring about are very modest by both British and European standards when one considers the sheer amount of state involvement in business and private affairs in that country. Yet the public reaction in some quarters has brought about riots, disorder, and general fearmongering. Everyone thinks that spending cuts should be made-except to their piece of the pie.
The freedom to publish in this space was thankfully paid for by a Veteran:
Marching in the streets didn't bring us this freedom, but someone else who was willing to pay the price for that freedom did their part to keep the flame of liberty burning. The new Jefferson County Veterans' Memorial has been erected in White Pine, and it might be worth a few minutes of your time to pay your respects to the local men and women who paid the cost for you and I to go about our business in peace, freedom, and security.
Since the editorial board of the Knoxville News Sentinel failed miserably in their attempt to use the pages of the newspaper to destroy the political career (yes, he has one) of now-State Senator Stacey Campfield, they have a new target in their sights-Knox County Trustee John J. Duncan III. The paper all but directly accused Duncan of pure political cronyism in it's editorial today, claiming that Duncan's hiring of family friend Zach Brezina to an entry-level position in the County Clerk's office "opens the office up to criticism" that J.D. has engaged in what the KNS is calling "cronyism."
Pardon this writer for believing that people serving on the editorial board of a major regional newspaper might have some knowledge of history and political precedent to know that the hiring of a friend fresh out of college to an entry level job in his office is not only not wrong, it goes with the territory of being an elected official at the local level in many cases. In the case of Duncan and Brezina, there was likely little intent to engage in "cronyism" as much as there was the knowledge that Brezina needed a job and Duncan had one to give that he was qualified for. Someone fresh out of college has to start somewhere, and one of the great difficulties for today's college graduate is being able to find employment when their resume necessarily lacks the experience they need to convince employers that they might be a good hire. Often, to find that first job, a new graduate needs to cultivate their references and their personal connections, and that is precisely what Zach Brezina seems to have done and what Trustee Duncan responded to
The passionately liberal lawmaker was perhaps most well-known for work he did before coming to the General Assembly. The Memphis firefighter was one of the first responders who came to the aide of the late Elvis Presley on August 16th, 1977, but were unable to revive the King.
Moderate to conservative Democrats got beat in Tennessee legislative races last week less because of their ideology, and more because they were unprepared for a serious challenge:
There is little question that the Democratic brand has been tarnished by the unpopular policies of the party's de facto national leader, President Obama, and that was clearly reflected in State results in Tennessee on Tuesday last. However, it should be posited that for many of the moderate and conservative Democrats who lost did not believe they could be beaten, and when some of them found out they were in trouble, it was already too late. State Senator Doug Jackson (D-25) is reputed to have gone on a fishing trip two weeks before the election.
A conservative journal of social, cultural, and ecclesiatical affairs grounded in a realistic Catholic Christian worldview. It is my hope that this site will be a reflection of Christ,the teachings of His Holy Church, and of the basic vision of a Christian social morality.
