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Mike McWherter is back in the news.

Democrat Mike McWherter, son of former Gov. Ned McWherter, says he is interested in running for governor in 2010, but likely will wait until “the first of the summer” to make a decision on whether to join the fray.

“I will continue to meet with some of my friends and my family and assess the situation,” he said. “I’ve been raised in a family where I’m used to seeing people be in public service. This state has been very good to me, and I’d like to give something back.”

McWherter set up an exploratory campaign for the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign, but wound up deciding not to run because “the timing was not right for me.” With his children growing older, he said the timing would be better in 2010.

The Dresden businessman said he is willing to join Doug Horne, former state Democratic chairman, and other prospective Democratic candidates in a meeting to discuss the possibility of uniting behind one candidate.

But McWherter also said he thinks primary elections can be “very healthy for any campaign.” He recalled his father’s 1986 primary, wherein he defeated Nashville Mayor Richard Fulton and Public Service Commissioner Jane Eskind, then went on to defeat Republican Winfield Dunn, a former governor, in November.

“We ran a much better campaign in the general election because of that primary. We found out what worked and what didn’t work,” McWherter said.

I only really have one thing to say and I don’t mean it negatively. But this time, don’t, as Kleinheider said so eloquently, lollygag or play backroom politics.

It’s a new world in politics where accessibility is very important.

Just saying, Mike. I sent Andy Berke a twitter and he responded immediately.

Actually, this is advice to all you politicos right now.

Word to the wise, dude.

P.S.  As I have a home in Dresden, and I sort of know the terrain here,  McWherter works and lives in Jackson. He may have property here but I don’t see him around other than at local political events. I know I’m being nitpicky but still …

Well, as usual, my bi-monthly dose of bronchitis is rearing its ugly head. Again.
Ode to joy. (snark.)
Here are a few things I’ve witnessed in the last few days albeit it isn’t as interesting as, oh let’s say, this.
In Hoots, life goes on.

Sheriff deputies are investigating the killing of a goat (I can’t make this stuff up. Goat murder!), a man was arrested over the weekend for showing his naughty bits to the cops while screaming that he knew where they lived and when he got out of jail he was going to kill them (welcome to a long visit in the pokey) and I found out from a lottery dude that sales were through the roof. The grand jury convened, there is a bridal show going on and apparently we have our own mini-hell of an illegal dump that ace reporter Editor Bates is all over.
And there is a lot of earthquake talk going on which I find disconcerting. Do folks know something that the average bear doesn’t or are we just preparing for the apocalypse because not a lot is going on.
I also got to inform an elected democrat that Bill Hobbs is no longer blogging. He smiled. I then said “Now you don’t know what he’s up to.”
He quit smiling.
I’m a realist about these things, you know.
I also heard someone confuse Sanjaya with Sanjay Gupta. (I’m banging my head into a wall as I type this over that little disclosure), I decided the only reasonable thing I could to was throw myself in front of a train or drink a bottle of swill. Squirrelly think he’s a weird choice for Surgeon General (and we bantered about this for hours for some odd and unknown reason), Kate wonders, in the comments, what a surgeon general actually does and I am ambivalent. I guess it’s better than Surgeon General Lou Dobbs.
Now on to your early morning moment of zen:

From Eat Liver

Made me laugh:

H/T D-Listed

Sadcox’s abode is the place you need to be right now as he’s doing his thanks from his end of the spectrum as we enter our sixth day of NewsTechZilla. I offer my thanks as well.

Seriously, you guys helped us get the word out, give us feedback, encouragement, and even content. We can’t thank you enough!

Michael Silence was unbelievably generous in writing our first feature article, and he went a step further by featuring us in his Sunday deadwood column. Jack Lail wrote a very nice intro for us on his blog last Thursday too. These guys got us noticed by Glenn Reynolds, who gave us an unbelievably successful first day “live” when he linked to us from Instapundit. All this within the first three days!!!

Starting up any new project is scary. I’d also like to offer my humble gratitude to everyone who has been so groovy about giving us a chance and a write-up, which I’m going to document later in the week because linklove is of the good, although I’m, like Sadcox, is piled on at the non-virtual job as well. It’s nice to know that folks out there are being so supportive.

I can only echo Sadcox.

Thank you.

As this is the only place in Hoots to buy stuff, it’s a sad day.

It’s what I and others have been speculating for days, if not weeks: Goody’s Family Clothing is shutting its doors for good.

The hometown success story — starting right here in East Tennessee more than 50 years ago — has ended with the news that Goody’s will be liquidating. Going-out-of-business sales could start as early as Friday.

Carly Harrington is following the story. I have to tell you, in many ways I’m bummed.

1. Why do people martyr themselves to come to work sick when it only makes other people sick? Argh!
2. As I’m not a fan of House Calls on CNN, the idea that Sanjay Gupta being Surgeon General oddly feels okay to me as long as they don’t replace the show with Lou Dobbs, who gives me an abnormal shake of rage and fear when he is on the air. I also wonder if this is a CNN ploy for attention although I hope not. I kinda like Sanjay.
3. Why can I write anything for anybody other than things that really matter like neurosurgery yet I cannot write my own resume? Why is this?
4. I helped Squirrel Queen not annihilate someone this evening who definitely needed annihilating. I was, oddly, the voice of reason against someone who was spouting off idiocy when it wasn’t deserved. My excuse: they weren’t worth it. SQ finally saw my point. Go here and look at bananas exploding on some dude’s head at her blog.
5. I’m still sort of smitten with Pinkey, however, I’ve kept my distance. When I move, and it will happen, I think I will miss her. She has become beloved by the nieces.
6. Huh?
7. This is brilliant.
8. Best and most disturbing Christmas present ever!
9. Very cool theory on The Joker. I vote for Lou Dobbs to be the Joker but that, of course, is reality and not a movie. (Sorry Lou, you are on my mind today.)
10. My blind dog has taken to barking at the toilet, even when she is alone in the bathroom. I believed after I saw Jaws as a child that sharks might be able to bite me in the bathroom in landlocked Tennessee. This, of course, is a sad fact that I’m reporting to you from my ill-begotten days of my youth. It also could be a sign that I’m not that smart. I felt like this is something you probably needed to know.

Image Credit

I don’t know Sen. Andy Berke, but I like some of the things he is doing. I know personally that he is accessible, he has an air of transparency about him that seems refreshing and Tennessee needs something different.

After reading his op-ed penned in November for The Tennessean, I have to say I was pretty impressed. The reason is that he was unapologetic for his enthusiasm for his party and for the state of Tennessee. Enthusiasm, is as they say, of the good.

GoldnI also makes a good point that east Tennessee is going to be prime fighting ground in the next gubernatorial race. I realize that I’m probably going to get tossed around by saying this, but west Tennessee’s elected democrats appear to be wallowing a bit right now. As I’m in the west, I tend to pay attention to who represents me. However, I do believe that Berke is looking at all parts of the state and I dig that. Immensely.

I think it is also very important to note that Sean Braisted, an unpaid blogger (I doubt for long), broke the story of Berke exploring the run for governor.

Citizen Journalism strikes again.

Now down to the reality of a run. Adam Kleinheider knows his history a bit better than I do, but I’m wondering how long our state has gone two terms democrat, two terms Republican?

Something to think about, or maybe it’s just me getting all history-a-fied.

From a rural perspective, I do believe that if Berke reaches out to college towns across the state, he could create a buzz with excited new voters. He’s young and seems to be like the average guy (I refuse to say Joe. I’m still damaged by Joe the Plumber) in many ways and might be able to create a following early. Not just my college town, but others across the state. I’m finding that young democrats have a hunger right now that Berke just might be able to tap.

Passion in the politics, so to speak.

Took a break from political punditry over the holidays. Guess I’m back.

Image Credit

As many of you know who’ve read this blog for any length of time, I’ve been a bit gobsmacked at the changes in my chosen profession. It’s honestly given me brain strain for about six to eight months.

I’ve tried to think of viable options for myself, as others who are facing shaky employment. I have talked to other folks who have gone through this as well and it’s sometimes paralyzing.

Then I read this by Katherine Coble, who has been through this herself and she breaks down some of the feelings beautifully.

I’d still really like to see some type of mortgage relief put into place. I know from personal experience that when one is jobless, the spectre of losing one’s home can kill hope. I’ve seen firsthand how the spectre of joblessness is dwarfed by the thought of all comforts being ripped away. It kills health and marriages. * I insist that if we want to have any meaningful economic recovery it must include some type of mortgage relief. The easiest and least interventionist is still the automatic stay that I mentioned months ago. Just as you can put your student loan payments on hold when you lose your job, you ought to be able to put your mortgage on hold. Doing so would remove about 75% of the stress of joblessness. It would make layoffs less catastrophic for communities and strengthen banks’ positions on their mortgage investments. With fewer defaults due to unemployment, mortgages again become a worthwhile place to put your money. The best part of this plan is that it doesn’t cause the government to go into further debt.

Coble breaks most things down with a common sense attitude as she does here.

This next year will be a telling, trying time for many Americans.

Has he been declared Sen. Al Franken yet? I’ve been out of the loop.

I haven’t thought of Solid Gold in years. Yes, I’m laughing.

H/T Talking Points Memo

And this is why the Internet rules the roost.

Poet and novelist James Dickey once dated my grandmother. That little story I’ve known for years.

Just read the whole thing. It’s wonderful.

Sadcox and I’s new project called NewsTechZilla started off very well and we’ve been very fortunate. Lots of folks have been very encouraging and we are both mightily excited.

I offer my humble gratitude to everyone, especially Michael Silence, for helping us launch this on January 1st.

He wrote a column at KNS this morning and it’s just wonderful.

Sharp offers the bottom line of the endeavor: “Our plans are to write about what we know, what we want to learn and hopefully be a guide for other journalists trying to be viable in new markets. There is some fantastic information out in the blogosphere that we will spotlight all in one convenient location.”

Adcox called it, simply, “citizen journalism for journalists.”

Here’s what Sharp told me in an e-mail: “We will most likely banter with each other (Scott and I) to keep it sort of personal but one of our objectives is citizen journalism for everyone. Scott knows technology (I’m the news hack), and he is really good about making tech lessons simple. I’m the grand encourager.

“With this, plus linking to interesting sites, our hope is that it will become a go-to place for ongoing conversation about what’s happening, what has happened and what’s next.

“A good example of the most recent power of citizen journalism would be the TVA Sludge Spill. It’s average folks that fueled that.”

Umm, I’m Sharp. Adcox is sadcox, if you were wondering.

This has been a lot of fun and it’s also extremely challenging. We also are encouraging guest columns from folks who might have something to say about citizen journalism, how to use video (I’m still a novice on that one) and social media networking. Drop us a line if you are interested in being a part of this new community.

As everyone feels an ownership and personalizes their own experience when it comes to news, I truly believe everyone is entitled to their voice.

Think of it as writing a letter to the editor. Send me a shout at newscoma at newstechzilla dot com.

So my news ranting will be there now.

And, just to let you know newscoma isn’t going to change, look at this picture at LOLCelebs.

I love it when they pick the unknowns. Everyone deserves a break.

No, seriously. It’s Matt Smith. Who’s he? Doesn’t matter! It’s Doctor Who!!!

At just 26 years old, Smith will be the youngest Doctor ever, beating Peter Davison, who was 29 when he was cast as the Fifth Doctor.

Brought up in Northampton and initially planning to become a professional footballer, Smith studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Since then he has carved out a very respectable theatre career, his stage roles including Lockwood in The History Boys and Guy in Swimming with Sharks, opposite Christian Slater. He appeared in On the Shore of the Wide World, which won the 2006 Olivier Award for Best New Play.

His most notable TV role was a Labour researcher Danny Foster in BBC’s political drama Party Animals. He also appeared in The Ruby in the Smoke, its sequel The Shadow in the North and an episode of The Secret Diary of a Call Girl - all three of them opposite former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper.

This might just be groovy although Eccleston and Tennant were AMAZING.

I’m a Doc Who geek. Shut up.

It’s a great show.

Shout out to LeBlanc. DUDE!