In a move that could cause damage to his political career in the deep red state of Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam has vetoed a bill that would have made the Bible the official  book of the Volunteer State.

But the governor’s action did not rely so much on the obvious constitutional argument as much as on the very sanctity of the Holy Book itself. Gov. Haslam felt that designating the Bible the state book would trivialize the great tome. He even cited the founding fathers in his argument. In a letter to Beth Harwell, the Tennessee Speaker of the House, he said:

Our founders recognized that when the church and state were combined, it was the church that suffered in the long run.

If Haslam had signed the bill, Tennessee would have been the first state to name the Bible as its official state book.

Many political observers are praising the governor for rejecting the controversial bill. They point out how hard it is for any Deep South politician to vote against the Bible. But all is not lost for the state as its legislators are hell-bent on passing the measure.

Sen. Steve Souterland, sponsor of the bill, said he plans to push for a veto override. House sponsor Rep. Jerry Sexton said the same and added that polls show the citizen of Tennessee support the legislation.

Supporters of the bill plan to override the veto as early as next week. All that is required is a simple majority in both chambers.

Considering the bill passed in the state house by a vote of 55-38 and in the senate by a vote of 19-8, an override seems a mere formability.

Tennessee may yet have that much-coveted distinction of being the first state in the union to make the Bible its official state book … whatever that means.

The Constitution? Separation of church and state? Just more easy work for our federal court system.

Photo | downtrend.com

Bernie Sanders has accepted an invitation from Pope Francis to visit the Vatican next week. The Vermont senator will participate in an April 15 conference on social, economic and environmental issues. It is not yet certain whether the two will meet in private but if they do, the two socialists will surely have much to talk about.

Pope Francis is not your typical Bishop of Rome. The 79-year-old Jesuit has been outspoken about helping the poor and has been praised for criticizing the “worship of money.”

Bernie Sanders is not your everyday Democratic presidential candidate. The 74-year-old Brooklyn-born son of Polish-Jewish immigrants has made tackling income inequality a central issue of his campaign. Sanders has railed against the greed of the billionaire class and the recklessness of Wall Street.

Forgetting religious labels for a moment, the two septuagenarians are kindred spirits. The Pontiff’s message about the moral imperative for economic equality has struck a chord among Catholics hungry for a spiritual leader who actually preaches the gospel of Christ. Francis is a true progressive trying to take a 2000-year-old institution into the 21^st century.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, has struck a nerve among progressive Democrats with his message of a rigged economic and political system. He has amassed a large following, particularly among young people, in his long-shot bid against front-runner rival, Hillary Clinton.

“I am a big, big fan of the Pope,” said Sanders in an interview on MSNBC. “He’s trying to inject this sense of morality into how we do economics … and we need that absolutely desperately.” If elected, Sanders would be the first Jewish U.S. president.

The Pope’s invitation comes at a critical time for Sanders. The New York and Pennsylvania primaries will be held only a few days after Sanders’ visit with the Pope. Francis’ popularity among Catholics and non-Catholics alike should help Sanders and keep the Bernie momentum going now that the primary season heads into the home stretch.

“I am really excited about meeting with the Holy Father,” said Sanders. “I just hope he doesn’t try to convert me!”

OK. I made up that last quote!

But these two wise, grandfatherly men, who speak of social and economic justice, are what this world greatly needs more of.

Photos |usatoday.com/huffingtonpost.com

The political narrative this election season has focused on the stark differences between Democrats and Republicans. While GOP presidential candidates slung mud at one another at their debates, the Democrats remained civil and kept their debates issue-oriented.

Not any more.

At a campaign rally yesterday in Pennsylvania, Bernie Sanders suggested Hillary Clinton is not “qualified” to be president. But he didn’t just leave it at that. He went on to say:

“Let me just say in response to Secretary Clinton, I don’t believe  that she is qualified if she is, through her Super PAC, taking tens of  millions of dollars in special-interest money. I don’t think  that you are qualified if you get $15 million from Wall Street through your super PAC.”

“I don’t think you are qualified if you have voted for the disastrous war in Iraq. I don’t think you are qualified if you’ve supported virtually every disastrous trade agreement which has cost us millions of decent paying jobs.”

Bernie’s outburst came after Clinton questioned Sanders’ recent comments about banking reform, suggesting he didn’t know what he was talking about and needed to do his “homework.” A Washington Post article about Hillary’s comments (circulated by the Sanders camp) misleadingly said: “Clinton questions whether Sanders is qualified to be president.” In fairness to Clinton, she did not actually say Sanders is unqualified, though that was the gist of her criticism.

Yes, the Democratic presidential race has veered into new territory. But this was to be expected. The contest is headed into the fourth quarter and the Sanders camp can do the math. Clinton has a commanding lead in the delegate count, and with the all-important New York primary looming on the horizon, Bernie needs a game changer.

For Clinton, she is no doubt stung by Sanders’ recent string of primary wins, including his most recent comeback victory in Wisconsin. The Bernie momentum needs to be stopped.

Will this new nastiness hurt the eventual Democratic nominee in unifying the party? Probably not. There is just too much at stake to hold grudges. The possibility of a Republican back into the White House will surely motivate Dems to rally behind their nominee.

Photo | nationalrighttolifenews.org

On the heels of North Carolina’s recent new law sanctioning discrimination, the state of Mississippi has just raised the stakes by enacting a more restrictive anti-LGBT law of its own.

While it is hard to imagine a law that could out-bigot North Carolina’s, Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant today put his signature on a bill that does just that. The new law would “allow the denial of services, goods, wedding products, medical treatment, housing, and employment to LGBT people.”

The law, with the Orwellian name “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act,” has met with sustained opposition from LGBT groups, businesses and the Mississippi Economic Council. They say the law sanctions discrimination against lesbians and gays.

It is only a matter of time before the backlash to this unconstitutional law begins. Just as was the case in North Carolina. Just as was the case in Indiana. But while the Indiana legislature had the good sense to “water-down” its so-called “religious freedom” bill, North Carolina has not yet felt the full economic pain to take remedial action. But they will, just as Mississippi will.

What is it about these Republican-controlled states?

For years, many Republican voters have been voting against their own economic interests. They vote for the party that favors tax cuts for the rich; eliminating social programs they rely on; and slashing funds for public education.

Now Republican-controlled statehouses are passing bills that will clearly hurt business within those states. As with blue-collar and low-income Republican voters, hot-button social issues are motivating the legislatures in these mostly southern states. In the case of these so-called “religious liberty” laws, it is opposition to newly acquired rights by gays, thanks to the Supreme Court, that is providing the impetus for these laws.

One gay rights advocacy group, Freedom for All Americans, dubbed the new Mississippi law “the nation’s worst piece of anti-LGBT legislation.” While that may be the case, for now, don’t bet against another Republican-controlled state upping the ante.

“This is a sad day for the state of Mississippi and for the thousands of Mississippians who can now be turned away from businesses, refused marriage licenses, or denied housing, essential services and needed care based on who they are,” said Jennifer Riley-Collins, executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi.

It was Bobby Jindal who coined the phrase “stupid party” to describe today’s GOP.

It appears the party of stupid just can’t help itself.

Photo | bbc.com

Donald Trump first threatened to run for president of the United States in 1988.

Of course, he didn’t run that year. In 2000, Trump did enter the presidential race, but as a candidate for the Reform Party, at the urging of his friend Jesse Ventura. He eventually withdrew from the Reform Party’s primary contest.

In 2004, Trump considered challenging George W. Bush in the Republican primaries but decided against it. In 2012, the presidential bug hit Trump once again. Speaking of his chances of winning, Trump proclaimed “I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and, ultimately, the general election.” Trump decided against a 2012 run.

When Trump, in March 2015, decided not to renew his contract with NBC for his hit reality show, The Apprentice, speculation grew that Trump would once again give the presidency a try. But, of course, everyone had seen this act before. Few believed Trump would actually enter the 2016 race.

Can you fault Jon Stewart for being one of those non-believers? Stewart announced his retirement from the highly popular Daily Show on February 10, 2015. He stated he would leave the show on August 6, 2015.

Donald Trump officially declared he would seek the Republican presidential nomination on June 16, 2015.

I have a very strong suspicion if Stewart had just waited a few months before making his announcement, he would have stayed on to mine all that comedy gold a Trump candidacy would provide. But Stewart was like all the other political observers who believed Trump’s flirtation with another presidential run was just that … a trick, a ruse to generate some buzz for the king of self-promotion.

Boy, could the country have used Jon Stewart’s comedic wit this crazy presidential cycle! This is not meant to take anything away from Trevor Noah, Stewart’s replacement. Current Daily Show viewers know that Noah has done an excellent job filling some mighty big shoes.

So here we are in 2016. Donald Trump is the Republican favorite to win his party’s nomination. Who knows, maybe Trump can back up his boast of 2012 when he said he could win the Republican primary and the general election?

My take is that of all the people who can’t believe Trump is where he is in this year’s presidential race , Trump is the most shocked of all.

Photo | vdare.com