Brooks Bayne:
That's What He Said  

National Tea Party Convention Falling Apart?! Oh? When Was The Tea Party Involved?

Michelle Bachman and Marsha Blackburn announced that they’re withdrawing from the so-called National Tea Party Convention. Question is, will Sarah Palin stick it out for the $100k?

The problem is, as I’ve stated many times on Twitter, the Tea Party wasn’t involved with this convention. There may have been a couple local Tea Party folks participating, but none of the real players in the movement were involved. If you’re asking how I have the inside skinny on all this, then you haven’t been paying attention to the movement over the last year.

This “convention” was about one guy, attorney Judson Phillips, and, in my opinion, his attempt at personal gain. What was he thinking? Just because Phillips was the guy who reviewed Michael Leahy’s ridiculous lawsuit filing (not ridiculous that it was filed, it needed to be. much of the substance of it, however, was ridiculous. I question Phillips’ capacity as an attorney if he greenlit that filing) against some Internet trolls last year, he’s suddenly part of the movement? Uh…I don’t think so.

The beltway had better figure out who is and who isn’t part of this movement. And to the Tea Party folks out there, it’s time to start distancing yourselves from what I call Tea Party Snake Oil Salesmen. You’ll know these types of shysters because they try to turn every Tea Party discussion into ways to make money.

“You shall know them by their fruits.”

Next.

Scott Brown Dominates #tcot Today

After selling my last company to Amazon.com, I started a new company called, The Graph. The Graph analyzes social web data streams, which includes Twitter.

The top 10 links that have been tweeted and retweeted in the #tcot stream today *all* reference Republican Senate candidate, Scott Brown. I’ve only seen this one other time in the #tcot stream - that was during 9/12/2009 with all the #912 rallies occurring that day.

Brown is running against Democrat Martha Coakley in a special election tomorrow that could take away the dems’ filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. Much of the news linked below shows that Brown is running away from Coakley in all the polls.

These are the Brown-referenced links in order of Twitter #tcot popularity today:

http://brownforussenate.com/voter-bomb
http://www.resistnet.com/profiles/blogs/op-41-for-freedom-phase-3-3
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31621.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Scott-Brown/178795233167?ref=ts&v=wall
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/01/18/shot-heard-round
http://www.brownforussenate.com/
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2010/01/dem_mayor_of_quincy_ma_endorse.html
http://www.thehopeforamerica.com/play.php?id=2811
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/01/18/brown-expects-to-head-to-dc-quickly-if-he-wins/
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/01/18/suffolks-bellwether-areas-showing-double-digit-lead-for-brown-on-final-day/

If Bush Lied About WMDs, Then So Did All These Liberals

“One way or the other, we are determined to deny Iraq the capacity to develop weapons of mass destruction and the missiles to deliver them. That is our bottom line.”
- President Clinton, Feb. 4, 1998

“If Saddam rejects peace and we have to use force, our purpose is clear. We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program.”
- President Bill Clinton, Feb. 17, 1998

“We must stop Saddam from ever again jeopardizing the stability and security of his neighbors with weapons of mass destruction.”
- Madeline Albright, Feb 1, 1998

“He will use those weapons of mass destruction again, as he has ten times since 1983.”
- Sandy Berger, Clinton National Security Adviser, Feb, 18, 1998

“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.”
Letter to President Clinton.
- (D) Senators Carl Levin, Tom Daschle, John Kerry, others, Oct. 9, 1998

“Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.”
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D, CA), Dec. 16, 1998

“Hussein has … chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies.”
- Madeline Albright, Clinton Secretary of State, Nov. 10, 1999

“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandate of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and th! e means of delivering them.”
- Sen. Carl Levin (D, MI), Sept. 19, 2002 

“We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country.”
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

“Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.”
- Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002

“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.”
- Sen. Ted Kennedy (D, MA), Sept. 27, 2002 

“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retains some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capabilities. Intelligence reports indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons…”
- Sen. Robert Byrd (D, WV), Oct. 3, 2002

“I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force — if necessary — to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.”
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Oct. 9, 2002

“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years … We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.”
- Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D, WV), Oct 10, 2002

“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including al Qaeda members … It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons.”
- Sen. Hillary Clinton (D, NY), Oct 10, 2002

“We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction.”
- Sen. Bob Graham (D, FL), Dec. 8, 2002

“Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime … He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation … And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction … So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real…”
- Sen. John F. Kerry (D, MA), Jan. 23. 2003

You say you’re a foodie who just moved to Nashville?

It’s been 3 years since I moved from Nashville to L.A., and since then I’ve had friends who’ve moved to Music City. Each of them ask me, knowing my love of food, where to get the goods. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to start.

In Nashville, as far as butchers go, you’re stuck with Whole Foods. The Publix in Bellevue is probably the best Publix in Nashville for meat and seafood if you get bored of Whole Foods. Great staff. There’s another place in Brentwood, but it’s pricey, called The Butcher Block. Personally, I think you’ll be happier with Whole Foods for most meats.

Bakery: Alpha Bakery http://www.yelp.com/biz/alpha-bakery-nashville (You can find some other good bakery items at the Germantown Farmer’s Market.)

For seafood: K&S International Market and the seafood market at the Franklin Factory. (Although farther than you probably wanna drive if you’re in the city, the Factory is a cool place. They even have a Viking Store where you can take cooking classes or watch guest chefs prepare private tastings. it’s a small place tho compared to big cities’ equivalents.)

For cheese and some meats:  Corrieri’s Formaggeria http://www.cfcheese.com/ (The guys who own Maffiaosas own this place. Two of my really good friends used to be partners in this biz.)

All my Russian and Eastern European friends liked this place: Aleksey’s Market http://www.yelp.com/biz/aleksey-market-nashville

A great Italian pasta shop with some good cheese and meats: Lazzaroli Pasta http://www.lazzaroli.com/ (Srsly, their pasta is the best you’ll find in Nashville.)

For an alternative to Whole Foods that’s better than your average Publix-type grocery, try Fresh Market: http://www.yelp.com/biz/fresh-market-brentwood

If you’re Jewish (I’m not, but I did the research for some friends when they came to Nashville), and moving from New York or L.A., you’re not gonna like the selection of Kosher food choices in Nashville. Check out the West End Synagogue’s site for suggestions: http://westendsyn.org/kosher.html