By: againstpuryear on 9/2/08
For more information on the Puryear nomination, including other reasons why he is not qualified for a lifetime federal judgeship in Middle Tennessee, please visit:

www.againstpuryear.org

By: Jurist on 9/2/08
Puryear's nomination is dead in the water, due to his awesome lack of judicial experience and his conflicts of interests. However he did prep Darth Cheney twice for VP debates, so he could do the same for Sarah Palin. Come to think of it, if McCain pulls a "Thomas Eagleton," Puryear could seamlessly step into the VP nominee's shoes. After all, Dan Quale proved that experience and ability doesn't count.

By: jimmiruth on 9/3/08
The private prisons are the most money grabbing corrupt situation I know about right now. They can do anything they want to inmates and it is well hidden. I do not believe Palin will need the help of such as Puryear to help her with a speech or debate, since her background indicates she hates corruption and she will address it in her own party. I think party is becoming less important and actions are what is or should be looked at. I surely hope so. JimmiRuth

By: LotusEater on 9/6/08
ALEX FRIEDMANN HASN'T "GONE GOOD"

I think that one point you may have missed is that Alex Friedmann hasn't exactly "gone good," as you say in your story. The Tennessean reported that Friedmann had discovered some patient records from a clinic that had been improperly disposed of. The Nashville Scene exposed the fact that Alex Friedmann was actually culling through a Dumpster outside the clinic himself, hoping to connect Puryear to an abortion clinic. Puryear was one of the landlords for the building, but had no other connection to the clinic.

The building wasn't an abortion clinic. And the joke was on Friedmann, of course, because the clinic was actually the only Methadone clinic in Nashville. Who was a methadone clinic helping? Ex-cons and others who are addicted to heroin. What will be the effect of Friedmann's work? It won't hurt Puryear because his only connection is as a property owner, but it may close the only place these people can get treatment!

And there's a punchline. In spite of his being a self-styled watchdog, Friedmann was forced by a Nashville judge to give up the records.

So, before you lionize Friedmann, you may want to consider whether you or anyone you know may be seeking health care services in a building Puryear owns. At least you might want to call them and ask them to check to see if there is a pad lock on all the trash bins. Alex is probably searching through those Dumpsters right now looking for something that could hurt Puryear. I hope you don't get caught in the crossfire like those poor addicts.

Sources

The Tennessean

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080709/NEWS07/807090397

"Forty-three patient names and seven of their Social Security numbers can be found in the tossed records, which include notes from counseling sessions that contain details of patients' personal lives."

The Nashville Scene

http://www.nashvillescene.com/2008-07-31/news/getting-trashed/

"Bruised and battered, Puryear's confirmation stalled. So one Saturday last month, Friedmann went looking for the knockout punch....Puryear owned a Nashville building occupied by a clinic. Friedmann hoped the clinic's work was controversial (read: abortion)....'I don't care about methadone clinics,' says Friedmann. 'The only reason this came up is because this is part of the larger campaign against Gus Puryear.'"