The Tennessee General Assembly is trying to subvert democracy. Republican lawmakers in that state want to revise our election process, and give themselves the power to select which candidates appear on the ballot for U.S. Senator. This is the latest GOP tactic to destroy our democratic process, and it's their clever way of going around the 17th Amendment.

Before 1913, state legislators selected U.S. Senators, but the process was ripe with corruption. So, the 17th Amendment was enacted to give voters the power to select their leaders, and remove the opportunity for rich guys to buy themselves a Senate seat. If passed, Tennessee Senate Bill 0471 and House Bill 0414 would amend state election laws, to let state legislators nominate candidates, and thus would likely determine who represents that state in the U.S. Senate. As Tennessee voters are highly likely to vote Republican, it's a virtual certainty that the GOP candidate selected by the state legislators would go on to represent that state in the Senate.

The 17th Amendment was passed to prevent wealthy men from buying off state legislators, and this new law in Tennessee would open the door to the same type of corruption all over again. Citizens United paved the way for mountains of cash in political races...but why spend millions in campaign ads when you can simply bribe a few state legislators and achieve the same effect?

Republicans know they can't win elections on the issues, hence their attempt to disenfranchise voters and buy off politicians. Now they think they can simply decide who has the right to appear on the ballot. We must stop the attack on our democratic process. Our right to vote is our most important right, and it must be protected.

-Thom

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Tuesday's Daily Stack

Book: "None Dare Call It Treason" by John A. Stormer.

Book: "In Search of the Miraculous: Fragments of an Unknown Teaching" by Piotr Demianovich Ouspensky.

Book: "The Fourth Way: An Arrangement by Subject of Verbatim Extracts from the Records of Ouspensky's Meetings in London and New York, 1921-46" by Piotr Demianovich Ouspensky.

Book: "Tertium Organum" by Piotr Demianovich Ouspensky.

Music: "The Music of Gurdjieff / De Hartmann" by Thomas de Hartmann.

Book: "Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson: All and Everything: AND All and Everything" by G. Gurdjieff.

Article: "Connecticut lawmakers plan to change early release program, high-capacity magazine rules" by Mary E. O’Leary.

Article: "U.N. overwhelmingly approves global arms trade treaty" by Louis Charbonneau.

Article: "Gun rights advocates fear U.N. treaty will lead to U.S. registry" by David Sherfinski.

Article: "Court says city of Stockton, California may proceed with bankruptcy" by Jonathan Weber.

Article: "U.S. Renewable Energy Production Now Tops Nuclear Power" by Todd Woody.

Article: "Eurozone unemployment hits record high of 12%" by AP.

Article: "Obama outlines human brain-mapping initiative" by Scott Wilson.

Article: "Obama Asks Congress For 100 Million To Map The Brain" by JEFF9K.

Hour Two: Separation of church and...hate
- Scottie Nell Hughes, Tea Party News Network

Article: "One Nation Above God" by Scottie Hughes.

Article: "Fla. students asked to write 'Jesus' on paper, then stand on it" by Kevin Gray.

Book: "Fahrenheit 451: A Novel" by Ray Bradbury.

Talk Radio News Segment:
- Ellen Ratner, Bureau Chief

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Article: "TRNS News Notes- Wednesday, April 3" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Asa Hutchinson unveils NRA National School Shield plan" by Don Baxter.

Article: "Singapore prime minister visits White House".

Hour Three: Let's start treating guns like cars...
- Neil McCabe, Guns & Patriots Newsletter

Site: "gunsandpatriots.com".

Article: "Once Again, Polls Show Attitudes Toward Guns Returning To Pre-shooting Levels" by Mark Memmott.

Article: "Democratic Senator Touts Bill To Allow Patients Involuntarily Committed For Mental Illness To Purchase Guns" by Igor Volsky.

Article: "Georgia Town Passes Mandatory Gun Bill" by Annie-Rose Strasser.

Article: "NRA-backed task force pushes to arm teachers, school staff" by Kasie Hunt.

Video: "Cold Dead Hand with Jim Carrey".

Site: "smallpenisgunclub.com".

Article: "Mike McLelland, Texas District Attorney, Shot 20 Times: Report".

Article: "Constitution of the United States" Article 1, section 8: ...To establish Post Offices and post Roads;...

Article: "2nd Amendment".

The good: "Judge Evans Barker rejects Indiana immigration law".

The bad: "Tennessee Legislature Considering Bill To Tie Welfare Checks to Student Performance" by Heather Manes.

The very, very ugly: "Ray Kelly admitted cops target blacks, Hispanics in 'stop-frisk,' state lawmaker testifies" by Bruce Golding.

Book: "The Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times, and Legacy of Joe Hill, American Labor Icon" by William M. Adler.

Article: "South Carolina Race Pits Sanford Against Colbert Busch" by Rebekah Metzler.

In for Thom today, please welcome Dr. Mike Newcomb of 1480AM KPHX, Phoenix, AZ - The Mike Newcomb Show"

Hour One: Bisbee ok's civil unions
- Gene Conners, City Council Member (Ward I) Bisbee, AZ.

Hour Two: Commonsense gun laws & violence against women
- Kim Gandy, President & CEO-National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)

Hour Three: High-Deductible Health Plan...Silver Bullet -- or Snake Oil?
- Wendell Potter, Health Insurance Industry Whistleblower / Author, "Deadly Spin"

And, the best of the rest of the news and your calls right here on...

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