Attack!
The Tennessean turns a story on a conservative group running ads against a pro-income tax candidate into a story attacking the conservative group. The story reports on The Tennessee Forum spending $60,000 on ads aimed at defeating pro-income tax state Rep. Bobby Sands in his bid for an open seat in the state Senate. Sands voted for the unconstitutional income tax plan proposed by House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh.

Sands tells The Tennessean he finds it "alarming" that people are spending money to speak out against him and try to keep him from getting elected. It's called free speech and democracy, Rep. Sands, and there's nothing alarming about it. You voted for the income tax, and you don't want people to know, so you wish The Tennessee Forum wouldn't spend money to run ads informing people. Sorry. You don't get to make that call. But if you want to spend money running ads defending your vote, go for it.

Who is the Tennessee Forum? "We are basically a group of citizens that has a no-income-tax agenda," says Susan Kaestner of Nashville. "We have generally conservative type views. I don't think you can improve the economy that is already struggling by taking $1 billion out of the individual taxpayers' pockets. It needs to be clear we are not very happy with the tax that was passed, either."