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ROVE: This White House has carried pre-packaged, organized, controlled, scripted events to a new height, and they’re getting away with things that in any previous White House, the media would have eviscerated the press secretary and the White House for it.
Amazingly, Rove is not referring to the White House he served. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the 14 years since that star-crossed class arrived in Washington espousing an agenda that placed family values at its core, no less than a dozen of its members have been caught up in affairs, sex scandals or in messy separations and divorces from their spouses that, in more than a few instances, led to their political downfalls.
The problems started almost as soon as they took office, and by the end of their first year in Congress, the marriages of at least four Republican freshmen had collapsed.
Why is anyone surprised? Family Values, the Contract with on America, Christian Values and etc. was an advertising campaign, folks. As such it had very little to do with reality. Kind of like Ginsu knives ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of false advertising ... "Mark Sanford has backed out of a promise to release personal financial records to the media proving he did not use state money for trips to see his mistress." Sanford (GOP Class of '94) is toast. And depending on what those records show, he may be toast facing corruption charges. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Historically, Griffith’s tie-breaking vote in the Alabama Senate that empowered the socialist wing of the Alabama Democrat Party to control the Alabama Senate ...
Of course, there is no "Alabama Democrat Party" and I dare, in fact I double dog dare, either Mo Brooks or the proprietor(s) of Flashpoint to produce any evidence of such a thing, let alone a "socialist wing" of it. Continued use of "Democrat Party" rather than "Democratic Party" makes you sound like a petulant little kid.
Ron Sparks made a major campaign address today in Montgomery and announced major themes of his campaign for governor.
Today, I am asking the people of Alabama to make me their Governor. I am asking for this honor because I believe we can make a difference in the lives of working families, business owners, farmers and factory workers across Alabama.
But you know, I've been around politics long enough to know talk is cheap. Vague promises don't mean a thing. You've got to have a plan. Today, I want to outline the first three planks of our platform.
The three policy announcements I am making today will;
Guarantee every child who seeks higher education that chance;
Reduce taxes for every family in Alabama;
Provide more money for Medicaid;
Increase funding for education;
And, create a disaster relief fund for agriculture.
The press release went out yesterday afternoon, which was kind of short notice, but perhaps he's trying to capitalize on Sue Bell Cobb's announcement that she won't run. I'm sure there were people waiting to commit to a campaign until she made a decision.
The two announced candidates, Congressman Artur Davis, and Ag Commissioner Sparks have met at two public foums so far. More about those on the flip...
It is called Tricare and is for active and retired military and is provided by the Department of Defense. Please check out this EXCELLENT article from Alternet about how the states that are complaining the loudest about a government option in the healthcare overhaul are the same ones with the most people already using a government funded option.
In this year's health reform debate, congressional Democrats quickly took proposals for a single-payer system off the table, claiming it was "unrealistic."
But more than 9 million people in the U.S. have already signed on to a single-payer system that has proved both workable and popular: TRICARE, the Department of Defense's program for active-duty military and retirees.
Even more interesting: According to a Facing South analysis, nearly half of TRICARE beneficiaries live in the South -- states where congressional leadership has been most vocal in opposing public involvement in health care.
I've been hoping for a flood of progressive Democrats seeking office in 2010, and we scored a couple of good ones today: Jeremy Scherer for Treasurer and Susan Pace Hamill for House District 63 in Tuscaloosa.
“I believe government can actually benefit the lives of the people, so long as it upholds the public’s trust,” said Sherer, a Democrat. He said he would make an official announcement about his candidacy Monday.
I don't know Jeremy personally, but everything I've heard from folks who do know him indicates he is a forward looking, results oriented progressive and just the kind of person we will need to clean up the mess Kay Ivey will be leaving.
“I believe government must serve the weak equally as well as it serves the strong,” she told friends and supporters in front of Trinity Methodist Church. “I believe tax policy should be written not by those with the most lobbyists, but those with the greatest commitment to equity and fairness.
“I believe the quality of public education we provide our children should not be determined by their address, their race or the circumstances of their family. I believe the process through which government makes all policy should be premised on central moral and ethical standards.”
Susan Pace Hamill is no stranger to progressive causes and I'm delighted she is running for the open seat in HD63. She has written extensively on tax policy and is the author of The Least of These: Fair Taxes and the Moral Duty of Christians and As Certain as Death: A Fifty State Survey of State and Local Tax Laws. Her knowledge and dedication to fairness would be such an asset to the Alabama Legislature.
Wouldn't it be nice to see a slate of progressive candidates in 2010 from the top of the Democratic ticket to the bottom?
LiA is about to undergo some remodeling. Dardango has created a new, truly kickass, logo for us and the rest of the blog needs some sprucing up to go with it. You know how new curtains make the carpet look tired and if you replace the carpet that old sofa just looks ratty ... and pretty soon you've redone the whole place? That's where we are.
Major changes are in order for the sidebars too. Some things will go away, never to reappear. Others will move. What sidebar items do you like/use and what would you love to kick to the curb? Speak soon, or it will be too late. Blogroll suggestions are welcome, too.
Bear with us over the next day or two -- hopefully the mess will be entirely cleared away and we'll have a shiny new place to blog by Monday.
Reading a story just recently about how Lyndie England is having a hard time getting a job. Lyndie was the woman pictured in many of the infamous photos that showed American soldiers abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison.
This reminded me to post my review of what I think is the most definitive film on Abu Ghraib. It's called "Standard Operating Procedure by director Errol Morris.
There aren't that many opportunities to interact with your Congressman in person. Don't miss this one!
TOWN HALL MEETING HEALTHCARE REFORM with U.S. CONGRESSMAN PARKER GRIFFITH
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 5:30 – 6:30 PM Davidson Center 3D Digital Theater U.S. Space and Rocket Center 1 Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 35805
– Free of Charge –
Everyone is encouraged to attend, particularly if you have experienced difficulty with the current healthcare system such as: • Being uninsured • Health insurance too costly • Insurance claims denied • Inadequate coverage • Delaying costly medical care • Trouble finding doctors
• Learn about the healthcare reform taking place in Washington, D.C., and how these changes may affect Alabamians.
• Share experiences you have had with the current healthcare system and present your questions about proposed health reform.
• Hear Congressman Griffith discuss current healthcare reform efforts as well as challenges related to health services delivery and access.
• Members of the public and the media are invited and encouraged to attend.
A Healthy Alabama is a Prosperous Alabama!
For further information: (800) 832-9060 Arise Citizens’ Policy Project · Anna Blair · blair@alarise.org Alabama Appleseed · Vaughan Branch · Vaughan.Branch@alabamaappleseed.org
“I am honored to have been sought out and encouraged to run for Governor by so many Alabamians from all walks of life. Their support has been humbling and perhaps made this decision the most difficult I have ever been called upon to make.
First and foremost, I want the best for the people of Alabama, whom I have attempted to faithfully serve for the last 28 years. I care greatly about where we are as a state and the direction in which we need to go.
While this love for our state and encouragement caused me to seriously consider running for governor, I have been privileged to serve as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and plan to remain in this position. Therefore, I will continue to work tirelessly to improve the court system of this state and will continue to devote my time and energy to programs and projects that improve the lives of all citizens of Alabama:
-Programs that make our communities safer, while at the same time saving precious financial resources.
-Programs such as model drug courts, dedicated domestic violence dockets, and local juvenile justice corrections programs.
-Programs that are already paying dividends by not only reducing costs but also reducing the financial burdens of our jails and prisons and more importantly redirecting “would be career criminals” to a path away from crime and toward meaningful rehabilitation and productive lives.
As I stated when I sought the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the challenge for judges and justices is to do the harder work of fixing people rather than the easier work of just filling prisons.
I want to thank the voters of Alabama for giving me the distinct honor of serving as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, and I want to thank the judges and all of those who work so hard every day to make our justice system a model for the nation.”
Although it appears that Oklahoma legislator, Sally Kern, would fit right in with some segment of our population.
WHEREAS, we believe our economic woes are consequences of our greater national moral crisis; and
WHEREAS, this nation has become a world leader in promoting abortion, pornography, same sex marriage, sex trafficking, divorce, illegitimate births, child abuse, and many other forms of debauchery; and
WHEREAS, alarmed that the Government of the United States of America is forsaking the rich Christian heritage upon which this nation was built; and
WHEREAS, grieved that the Office of the president of these United States has refused to uphold the long held tradition of past presidents in giving recognition to our National Day of Prayer; and
WHEREAS, deeply disturbed that the Office of the president of these United States disregards the biblical admonitions to live clean and pure lives by proclaiming an entire month to an immoral behavior;
Hope the Alabama Legislature doesn't get wind of this effort. Because certainly they have nothing more important to do, right?
I'm telling you, Brooks is the best opponent Parker Griffith could have hoped for. His appeal is entirely to the far right. He's too close to the "nut" in "wingnut" to attract moderate/independent voters and liberals and progressive Democrats will happily work to beat him, even though we're ticked at Griffith's conservative bent. This release is from the Alabama Democratic Party:
Mo Brooks’ time on the [Madison] County Commission has been marked by cost increases and skyrocketing spending. The last thing Alabama needs is Mo Brooks in Congress.
“Instead of finding fiscally responsible solutions, Commissioner Brooks runs to the taxpayers to bail out problems,” said Jim Spearman, Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party.
Taxpayers can thank Brooks for the 35% increase in cost for trash pickup that was imposed earlier this year. [Source: Huntsville Times, 5/09/09, link]
Taxpayers also footed the bill for a 20-fold increase in Brooks’ budget since he took office. Brooks’ yearly spending ballooned from $35,000 in 1996 to $740,000 in 2008. Shockingly, Mo Brooks bragged that the increase in spending was evidence of his power and influence on the Commission [Source: Huntsville Times, 5/22/08]
“Mo Brooks’ has no problem taxing and spending to try to boost his image, but when it comes to making important investments in the county’s schools and other needed projects, he says no,” said Spearman.
It's all about Mo -- and it always has been. The wingers will back him to the hilt, so he'll have plenty of money, but an examination of his career will give Griffith and the DCCC plenty of far right hypocrisy to work with.
I've been stockpiling outrageous stuff -- and believe me, if you aren't outraged you haven't been paying attention lately.
Let's kick it off with FAUX News' terrorist worshipper Glenn Beck and his guest, Michael Scheuer, hoping Osama bin Laden will succeed in detonating a "major weapon" on American soil to make government "do the right thing."
The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States. ...Only Osama can execute an attack which will force Americans to demand that their government protect them effectively, consistently and with as much violence as necessary.
Beck seems downright sad as he opines that bin Laden -- who is still at large because of George W. Bush's failure -- probably won't inflict such death and destruction on America.
They not only hate freedom, they want Americans to die so we'll be willing to give up our freedoms. Crazy anti-patriots, for sure.
We're number two, but closing fast! I know, if you are like me, you are sick and tired of Alabama being waaayy down at the bottom of every listing of states and their accomplishments. Here's a list that ranks us near the top! According to the Trust for America's Healthand theRobert Wood Johnson Foundation, Alabama ranks second behindMississippi as the most obese state in the union. That's right, and we are closing on the top spot fast!
Ode to Alabama
Each citizen takes pride in "Home sweet home", And praises what his state does really well. Had I the time, I'd surely write a tome The praises of Old Alabam to tell.
Our schools are pretty bad, I must admit I cannot find a way to brag of that Our economy is way down in the pit. But thanks to God and cornbread, we are fat!
For every Sunday morning we go pray And nourish hearts and soul with saving grace And then we move festivities outside Get off out knees and start to stuff our face.
Now Southerners are not a stupid lot. We understand what good nutrition means And veggies are a part of what it takes. But put more bacon in these butter beans.
So now we're close, quite close to number one And we can make the grade if we just try it So fry more chicken, bake more pecan pies Or else put Mississippi on a diet.
OUCH! Tough times in the Birmingham area as the County Commission cuts budgets, staff, and services - in a big way.
The Jefferson County Commission on Tuesday launched its third round of budget cuts since April, slashing departmental budgets by 33 percent, a move that will require hundreds of layoffs countywide.
The $31.7 million reduction is in addition to the steps taken two weeks ago that ended road maintenance contracts in all cities, switched most county employees to 32-hour workweeks and set closing dates for all satellite courthouses as the county scrambles to balance the books for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The commission cut budgets by $21.7 million in April.
The move comes as the county's reserve fund steadily declines amid predictions that the county would run out of cash by the end of July.
I haven't followed this story closely this spring, so it shocked me to read about how dire the situation is in Birmingham. Shelia Smoot is a member of the Jefferson County Commission, and I wonder if this will have any impact on her Congressional race.
I know (from looking at the server logs) that we have a lot of LIA readers in the Birmingham area. What's the scoop in Jefferson County? Is it the recession, mismanagement, the failure of the occupational tax bill, or some combination of all three?
The situation sounds grim, and I feel bad for everyone affected by the job and service cuts.
(AL-07 is going to be an interesting race next year. - promoted by countrycat)
Elect Women Magazine has a great feature on AL-07 Congressional Candidate Shelia Smoot. According to facts on Elect Women Magazine Website
*Women make up only 17% of the members of Congress * Only 10% of women have ever thought about running for office, compared with 20% of men. Lawless and Fox (2005)
Smoot aims to become the First African American female elected to Congress from Alabama. Alabama currently has no female members of Congress.
If you live in Birmingham you may be electing a new state Senator today. Democrats Priscilla Dunn and Merika Coleman face each other in a runoff. The Republican party did not field a candidate so today's winner will become the new state Senator for district 19. Click here to find out what Senate district you live in.
Merika Coleman has represented House District 57 in the Alabama Legislature since 2002. She has been endorsed by the New South Coalition, the Birmingham News, Communication Workers of America, Alabama Federation of Teachers and the Fraternal Order of Police. Rep. Coleman received 29% of the vote on May 12.
Priscilla Dunn has represented House District 56 in the Alabama Legislature since her election in 1998. She has been endorsed by the local Democratic Women, three former opponents for this Senate seat, the ADC and Concerned Citizens of Hueytown. Rep. Dunn received 34% of the vote in the May 12 primary.
Both these candidates look pretty good on progressive issues such as repealing the sales tax on groceries, Constitution Reform and so forth. If I lived in SD19 I would probably vote for Merika Coleman because of the successful hospital bill she sponsored. I found out about that on her website. The fact that I was able to find Coleman's website, and it has interesting stuff on it, is another reason I would probably vote for her.
The Mobile Press-Register on charter schools, June 14, 2009:
Alabama legislators have no legitimate excuse for spurning this education reform movement. And Mississippi lawmakers now have a strong incentive for removing barriers that prevent parents from exercising the charter option.
National leaders from the left and the right side of the political spectrum see the benefits of charter schools. Why can't leaders in Alabama and Mississippi figure out that charters should be part of the education scene?
Why can't they figure it out? Maybe because the case for charters is not as open and shut as all that. Charter schools are not the silver bullet that will cure all our education problems, no matter what the Press-Register and right-wing think tanks (or even the Obama administration) tell us.
A new report, ""Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States.""(pdf) (pdf executive summery / pdf press release), from Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, or CREDO, finds that charter schools significantly underperform overall compared to the traditional public schools they are supposed to improve on--a major embarrassment that will no doubt be ignored, just as all evidence of privatization and corporatization are ignored ...
Alabama has not passed charter school legislation, and was not one of the 16 states included in the CREDO study. Results below the fold. TPS means "traditional public school."
Alabama State Treasurer Kay Ivey formally announced she's running for governor last week, and a couple of days later ADECA Director Bill Johnson abruptly resigned so he could do the same. They have no shortage of detractors.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anyone who thinks Kay Ivey won't have a PACT problem as she campaigns for governor should check out www.kayivey2010.com and think again. It's a hoot and a half, and probably better than her campaign website -- good luck finding that one, I mean who uses .org anyway?
As you may know, I kicked off my campaign for governor of Alabama on Wednesday, June 24th with a statewide campaign blitz that attracted literally dozens of cheering supporters all across this beautiful state! They came to hear about my plan to remake Alabama's economy and education system. It's a bold new initiative that some have dubbed: PACT 2.0 in honor of my success with the Alabama Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program.
PACT 2.0 - Pissing Away Citizens' Trust
I promise to do for Alabama what I did for the Alabama Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program!
Tim James and Bradley Byrne don't even have to spend money on negative ads against Kay, PACT holders and parents are lining up to make sure all the bridges are out on Kay's campaign trail.
We're Behind Kay All The Way
In fact, many of us stand ready to give her a good hard push - should she need it. Anywhere, anytime.
She took our money and now she's taking our dreams of college. Why not use that success as a launching pad for governor? It's America. Anybody can run for any office. And any citizen is free to vote for or against that candidate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sipsey Street Irregulars (right-leaning, if you don't frequent them) rips Bill Johnson for adultery, non-payment of taxes, decieving the press and being a snitch, among other things.
This guy has more political baggage than Imelda Marcos had shoes, and he must be banking on mass amnesia to think he can be elected Governor in this state.
He is brilliant, amoral, and a complete sociopath.
We here at Libertarian Republican heartily applaud former Libertarian Party members who join the GOP and bring their libertarian ideals with them. But there's nothing worse than a former Libertarian who joins the GOP only to become a social authoritarian, most especially one who apologizes for his past libertarian views.
Alabama Libertarian Republicans should support Anyone but Johnson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kay Ivey probably has the larger negative problem here, simply because there are more PACT family members than Libertarians in Alabama, but I think you can safely bet the farm against either (No)Kay Ivey or Bill Johnson becoming governor in 2010.
I have been astounded by the skimpy coverage of the Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (PACT) Program debacle in the traditional Alabama media. They go to the PACT Board meetings, do a brief she said/he said story and then drop the issue for another couple of months. No digging through investments, old minutes, etc. to bring real perspective to how 48,000 Alabama families are about to get fleeced by a state agency they trusted. Up until last week the traditional media seemed content to leave that kind of reporting to the bloggers. Treasurer Kay Ivey's entry into the gubernatorial race and the upcoming RSA report on PACT may be changing that, judging by a flurry of PACT mentions the last few days.
The Legislature asked Bronner to determine the best direction for PACT after investment losses caused the program to lose half its value. Families participating in the program and Treasurer Kay Ivey, whose office administers PACT, asked the Legislature for help.
The deputy director of the Retirement Systems of Alabama said Wednesday there's little chance of saving the state Prepaid Tuition Program without a massive infusion of state money.
"It's going to take a ton of money to fill a very big hole," said Marc Reynolds.
"It's wonderful we have an election coming up," [PACT grandparent Patti] Lambert said. "When you have 48,000 PACT (contracts) and each has a circle of 20 or 30 relatives, you do the math, and we become a third political party."
An RSA official put it this way: The fund has lost 50 percent of its value. To gain that 50 percent back the present value of the fund would have to double. And for it to double, the stock market would have to reach 20,000, which is, to put it mildly, very unlikely.
Let us remind lawmakers that parents staked their children's education on the credibility of the state's promises. Only the Legislature can ensure the PACT promise doesn't turn into a massive betrayal.
PACT is so wounded there may be only two viable solutions: (a) let PACT fail; or (b) replace its lost value, estimated at more than $300 million, with some sort of Montgomery bailout or tax increase. Both solutions have a foul taste, and only one — saving PACT — is a path the state should consider.
Welcome to the PACT pool, y'all. The water is fine and, trust me, if you start digging into the PACT mess you'll find plenty of stories to tell. Some of them might even win you awards for journalism if you bother to write them.
Smart hires by the Davis campaign. Ceci and Mowery operate in regions (North Alabama and the Wiregrass) key to a Davis victory and both bring winning records to the table. An equally important point is that by hiring them now, Davis assures they won't end up working for another candidate -- say Ron Sparks or even Bradley Byrne. Bring in outside talent and hire the best local talent -- a very smart strategy.
Congressman Artur Davis (D-Bham) announced today that two of Alabama’s top political strategists will be joining his gubernatorial campaign. Joey Ceci of Main Street Strategies in Huntsville, Ala. and David Mowery of Mowery Consulting Group LLC in Montgomery, Ala., have come aboard as Senior Advisors.
“When it comes to winning elections in Alabama, Joey Ceci and David Mowery are at the top of the ladder,” Davis said. “Both Joey and David have a proven track record of winning hard-fought races in parts of our state that have been trending Republican. They are also experts in fending off the Republican attack machine that gears up every two years. Joey has an extensive knowledge of North Alabama politics and has managed the campaigns of both U.S. Congressman Bud Cramer and U.S. Congressman Parker Griffith. He has also run a number of winning local campaigns in the Tennessee Valley. David has spent his career winning elections in the Wiregrass and South Alabama, where he most recently managed Congressman Bobby Bright’s race – turning the 2nd Congressional District from red to blue. He also ran Mayor Todd Strange’s winning race in a nonpartisan election in Montgomery. Joey Ceci and David Mowery give us a powerful one-two punch in two regions that may hold the key to the 2010 governor’s race.”
Apparently Davis has been on Ceci's radar for quite some time as you can see from this Rollcall quote, by way of the Political Parlor:
In a 2010 gubernatorial race, Davis could face popular Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. in the Democratic primary. Folsom stepped in as governor in 1993 following the conviction of then-Gov. Guy Hunt (D). But with Folsom’s undisputed ties to Mobile[sic] politics, the turmoil in the state Capitol could play in Davis’ favor, Huntsville-based Democratic consultant Joey Ceci said.
“People aren’t happy with government anywhere, but if you see what’s happening in Montgomery, it’s a disgrace,” Ceci said.
If you live in Birmingham you may be electing a new state Senator today. Democrats Priscilla Dunn and Merika Coleman face each other in a runoff. The Republican party did not field a candidate so today's winner will become the new state Senator for district 19. 
Sipsey Street Irregulars (right-leaning, if you don't frequent them) 
