Terri Sewell was unambiguous in her support for health care reform at the Downtown Democrats' lunch in Birmingham last Friday. She declared, "I will go to Congress and make sure that health care gets passed. A comprehensive health care bill that includes a public option." Sewell may not be the most polished public speaker in the field, but she came across as serious about the challenges facing the 7th District and sincere in her commitment to deal with those challenges.
All the Democratic candidates for the 7th congressional district spoke at the Downtown Democrats meeting on March 5th. It was a great opportunity to hear from the entire field and I have to say that all six candidates made good points. I'm not sure who I would vote for if I lived in AL-07. For the rest of the week we'll be posting video of each of the six Democrats in this race, in this order:
Second in our series is Terri Sewell, a Selma native, graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School and Alabama's first black public finance lawyer who came back home to "work on behalf of our community to make sure that others have that same opportunity." Heaven knows, the 7th CD has long been a place where opportunity seldom knocks!
Selected quotes in italics:
"I'm running for Congress for one simple reason and that is to create opportunities and restore hope to the 7th congressional district."
"What I mean by that is rolling up my sleeves each and every day and making sure in Congress that I work, I work hard to actually bring back jobs to Alabama, I work hard to put businesses hiring again and I work hard on your behalf. It's critically important that we have someone in Congress who's a fighter, who will fight for the rights of all in the 7th congressional district, not just some."
"I came from a family of preachers, teachers and farmers who told me that the values of faith and hard work, personal responsibility and community service were the values that I should instill and move forward."
"With the help of scholarships and the Grace of God, and a whole bunch of loans, I got a chance to go to Princeton and Harvard Law School. The challenge with the 7th congressional district is that others have that same opportunity. I came back home so that I could work on behalf of our community to make sure that others have that same opportunity. And if given a chance in Congress, I will continue to work on behalf of all of the 7th congressional district."
"I'm asking for your vote because I know that I'm the candidate that can unite this whole district -- black and white, urban and rural, young and old -- behind our common vision and our shared concern. And that is that we deserve better in the 7th congressional district. We deserve better opportunities to attract industries. And we deserve better education for our children so that they can reach their God-given potential. We have to find jobs. We deserve better opportunities with health care. It should not be that the quality of the health care that you receive is dependent upon your zip code. But that is true. In 2010 in America, and in Alabama, and it's unacceptable."
"I understand what the issues are ... it's about job creation, it's the number one issue."
"I have been working ... as a finance attorney working on behalf of local authorities and helping local governments attract industries. Putting together public and private partnerships that actually attract industries which create jobs. I'm very proud of my representation of local water authorities in rural Alabama ..."
"I believe that I have the passion, the drive, the intellect, the desire, to represent the 7th congressional district. I will roll up my sleeves each and every day beause I was raised a fighter, I am a fighter and I will fight on behalf of the 7th congressional district."
"Education I believe is the best economic plan ever devised - a good education."
Sewell used her father's medical situation to illustrate the complexity of the Medicare system and the need to reduce inefficiencies and simplify the health care system.
"I will go to Congress and make sure that health care gets passed. A comprehensive health care legislation that includes a public option. It's critically important for all of this district. And do know that I will fight for that."
"We need someone who will zealously advocate on behalf of all of us. I am that person. We need leadership that's ethical. We need leadership that understands fiscal responsiblity and accountability. We need leadership that will listen."
Alabama's state budget year runs from October 1 to September 30th. Normally that's no big deal, but next year it puts us in danger of losing out on 3 months of higher federal Medicaid reimbursement from a provision in the Jobs for Main Street Act and its counterpart in the Senate. Congress extended federal medical assistance percentages (FMAPs) to provide a higher rate of Medicaid reimbursement to states, but as currently written, that higher rate only runs through June, 2011.After that, reimbursments will drop, meaning less federal money for a state budget that's already leaner than a homeless hound dog.
Congressman Artur Davis (D, AL-07) sent a letter to House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid, urging them to restructure the FMAPs to provide higher reimbursement through the end of Alabama's fiscal year.
“The fact that Alabama’s fiscal year starts as late as it does should not penalize low-income Alabama families dependent on Medicaid” stated Congressman Davis . “I am requesting that Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid make a reasonable accommodation so that our state receives the benefit of a much needed influx of new federal dollars for our Medicaid program.”
Texas and Michigan would be in a similar situation because their fiscal years also extend past June 30. Rep. John Conyers (D, MI) and four Texas Representatives signed the letter along with Davis.
You can read the letter here. As you can see, the temporary increase was for 6 months, to get cash strapped states through the 2010 fiscal year -- except all fiscal years don't end in June.
I seem to recall hearing folks suggest the State of Alabama could benefit by changing the fiscal year to a July 1-June 30 system. Does anyone have thoughts on such a move? Given how resistant to change state government has been, it's hard to imagine that change taking root.
Patricia Evans Mokolo was the surprise of the day at the Downtown Democrats' lunch in Birmingham last Friday. She was virtually unknown to me, but arrived early with a couple of her staff (it's a true grassroots campaign so they may constitute her entire staff) so I was able to speak with her one on one for a few minutes. She's a very passionate advocate for lifting people out of poverty and improving conditions in the 7th District which contains some of the poorest communities in this state and the highest unemployment rates. Mokolo is also very articulate and gave an excellent speech. Because she is a political newcomer, I didn't expect a great speech, but she surprised me.
All the Democratic candidates for the 7th congressional district spoke at the Downtown Democrats meeting on March 5th. It was a great opportunity to hear from the entire field and I have to say that all six candidates made good points and I'm not sure who I would vote for if I lived in AL-07. For the rest of the week we'll be posting video of each of the six Democrats in this race, in this order:
Patricia Evans Mokolo (below)
Terri Sewell
Earl Hilliard, Jr.
Shelia Smoot
Eddison Walters
Martha Bozeman
First up is Patricia Evans Mokolo, a Tuscaloosa native, Air Force veteran and former Obama field organizer who believes "Alabama needs a corruption-free leader in government."
Selected quotes in italics:
"This is the land of opportunity."
"My presence today is one that is unlikely to some and unexpected by others. Only in district 7 is my story born."
"I am a descendent of those who came before me from Greene County, Alabama where my mother's mother, my grandmother Maxine McCain, was born."
Mokolo told a her family's story, one of generational poverty, people living without electricity, running water, no indoor plumbing, health care -- a story all too common in Alabama and especially the 7th district.
"I know poverty firsthand. I have had a conversation with poverty most of my adult life."
"Some have a desire to work hard but can't because unemployment in America affects 18 million people. In Alabama's unemployment rate is 11%. It is even more prevalent in District 7 ..."
"We need to give companies incentives to keep jobs here in America. We need to create jobs by giving tax incentives to small businesses who hire employees at a higher rate than minimum wage."
"The truth is, my mother discovered long ago that there are really two Americas. In one America someone is complaining that they may not have enough to shop at Macy's while the other is debating whether to pay the electric bill or keep food on the table."
"In one America someone is travelling less, preserving their transportation cost while the other is having his car reposessed."
"In one America someone is living above the law while the others have to play by the rules."
"In one America mortgage companies are modifying home loans while the other is grieving home foreclosure."
"In one America someone can be seen by a doctor while the other is being denied care because of pre-existing conditions."
"We have work to do. Just as my mother rose above her circumstances, she also taught me to rise. So I'm saing today to District 7, it is time to rise. Now is the time to rise above our obscure conditions."
"I say it is time to eradicate poverty. Every person who wants to work should have the right to a job. And not only have a right to a job but the right to a decent, liveable wage. The right to equal pay for equal or comparable work. Thanks to Congress last night, for passing the Jobs Bill. Not only that, the right to adequate health care. It is an intimate, yet interconnected issue."
"I state to Democrats, when I'm elected to the office of Congress representing District 7, I won't treat it as if I'm being rewarded for service, it will be my calling to move this district forward out of the conditions by putting common sense into practice."
"It's time for our leaders to live up to a new standard, take the mask off and be true leaders as we were called to be. It's time to elect Patricia Evans Mokolo ..."
A short housekeeping reminder: anyone who posts diaries or comments at LIA and who is employed by a candidate or campaign must identify themselves as such.
During past elections, we've had a few issues where a campaign manager, consultant, etc. would make contributions to LIA under the guise of just being a candidate's supporter or interested citizen. Sometimes they were promoting their own campaign, but often, they were using their anonymity to disseminate derogatory information about their opponents.
That is simply not allowed and it is a bannable offense.
Candidates and their surrogates are more than welcome - even encouraged - to post and interact with our community. But it must be transparent. Usually the best way to do this is to create an account using your candidate's name: JaneDoeForCongress or JohnSmith-HD112.
It seemed to be a good time to post this short reminder because Mooncat and I have met a ton of Democratic candidates in the past week and most are interested in getting their message out to LIA readers. We just want to make sure they're doing it within our community rules.
One year after U.S stocks hit their post-financial-crisis low on March 9, 2009, the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has risen more than 68 percent, and it’s up more than 41 percent since Obama took office. Credit spreads have narrowed. Commodity prices have surged. Housing prices have stabilized.
“We’ve had a phenomenal run in asset classes across the board,” said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist for Miller Tabak & Co. in New York. “If he was a Republican, we would hear a never-ending drumbeat of news stories about markets voting in favor of the president.”
If this is what a Democratic President can do, America needs a lot more of it. And don't forget, he's done this with no help whatsoever from Republicans in Congress, who have voted NO on every single economic initiative, hoping Obama's failure would help them return to power. Not happening, dudes.
It's a great day for former supporters of Parker Griffith who have been frustrated by the refrain of "You contributed in 2008 and that money is just gone. Much as we'd like to, we can't give you a refund."
Griffith spokeswoman Heather Johnson said Tuesday evening that after the $2,000 donation from Rangel and $5,000 donation from Rangel's political action committee were brought to Griffith's attention, he decided to cut the check to the Madison County Veterans Memorial Foundation.
Griffith had to do this because a WAFF-48 reporter was sharp enough to ask him about Rangel's contributions yesterday and his non-answer was reflecting badly on John Boehner -- who was foolish enough to be standing next to PG as he fabricated a silly excuse about not having any idea where his money comes from.
Bur, hey! However it happened, it's a great day for 2008 donors disappointed with our Representative. If they can find Charlie Rangel's money, they can find mine.And the UAW's. And the Steelworkers'. Etc., etc. ...
And we're all proud liberals, so surely our money is just about as bad as Rangel's. I mean, what self-respecting Republican would stoop so low as to spend liberal-blogger, labor-union, tree-hugger, practically socialist dollars in a Republican primary? No genuine Republican, that's for sure.
Call 256-881-5059 (during business hours) to get on the refund list. Accept no excuses -- and the "that 2008 money is just gone" line was obviously just that, an excuse for Parker to welch on his rash promise of a refund to any disappointed supporters.
If he had a shred of honor or of sense, he'd refund the money to anyone who asked and put this whole story to bed. I'm betting he has neither.
"George W. Bush was the biggest spending president in the history of the republic, but his record is now threatened. George W. Bush almost doubled the national debt during his eight years as president..."
Those words were spoken by David M. Walker, former U.S. Comptroller and the president of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation on NPR's Fresh Air With Terry Gross. He was on to promote his book "Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility."
By the way, he's also a Republican.
He has some very interesting things to say. It's a must-hear, especially for LIVers (Low Information Voters).
Temporary Alabama Congressman (and noted political adulterer) Parker Griffith has been telling the media that "liberals" were behind yesterday's protest at his poorly-attended, low-dollar fundraiser with Congressman John Boehner:
h/t to Go Blue and the Decatur Daily:
“I am standing by my principles, and I will not be deterred by these liberal groups that are intent on ramming through a health-care reform package that is bad for our country and opposed by the vast majority of the American people,” he said.
He said he would work with Boehner to stop President Barrack Obama’s health care plan.
Perhaps if he hadn't chosen to huddle in the back of a vehicle and sneak into his own fundraiser, the good doctor would have noticed the plethora of TEA party activists, Mo Brooks supporters, and Les Phillips supporters. Surely, Congressman Boehner would liked to have seen the sign that - all things considered - asked him rather politely to leave town.
Perhaps if he took the time to read the press release or even watch a few minutes of news coverage, the doctor-turned-funeral-home-owner-turned-TURNCOAT-Congressman might have noticed that Ms. Christie Carden of the Huntsville TEA Party group was the principle organizer.
Note to Parker.... It's not wise to ignore or annoy these people. They're out for blood: yours. And not one Democrat in the 5th district would donate a drop to save you.
PASS THE POPCORN!
More photos on the flip. Ask yourself: do some of these people appear to be liberals to you?
Americans United for Change launched a series of robocalls targeting 10 potentially vulnerable House GOP lawmakers, as well as Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
...
The group launched 250,000 robocalls in Arizona targeting McCain, and 400,000 robocalls in the districts of the following lawmakers: Reps. Parker Griffith (Ala.), Mary Bono (Calif.), Ken Calvert (Calif.), Daniel Lungren (Calif.). Mark Kirk (Ill.), Jim Gerlach (Pa.), Pat Tiberi (Ohio), Lee Terry (Neb.), Jean Schmidt (Ohio), and David Reichert (Wash.).
Here's the call script:
I’m calling from Americans United for Change.
Congressman Parker Griffith is happy to let the government pay for his health care, but last November, Congressman Griffith voted against requiring that ordinary Americans be eligible to buy the same health insurance as Members of Congress.
Parker Griffith may enjoy being an important member of Congress, but when it comes to his health care he should be no better than the rest of us.
Call Congressman Parker Griffith at 202-225-3121. Tell him to support health care reform now.
We know Parker Griffith is happy to let the government pay his bills -- not only health care, but postage and advertising, too. Let's hope PG doesn't get to enjoy being a member of Congress much longer.
Griffith had a bad Monday, what with the right and left ganging up on him at that fundraiser yesterday, and this ought to make his Tuesday a good deal livelier than he likes. Even if you didn't get the robocall, pitch in and call Griffith at 202-225-3121 and tell him to support health care reform now.
I have laid out the foundation of my platform in three preliminary issue stances. Below each issue, you can even endorse my position and send me a comment. (I love getting endorsements, especially yours.)
Using the “Tell a Friend” page, you can easily spread the word about our campaign.
I am excited about the upcoming months of the campaign. The people of Alabama deserve an independent leader who will break the partisan paralysis in Washington.
Thanks for your support.
I'm glad he's starting to focus more on social media. That's becoming a much more important tool for campaigns. As voters trust media, ads, and even candidates less, they do still trust their friends. I like it when a candidate makes it easy for me to distribute information about them on blogs or Facebook.
After you enjoy the new Web site, send Josh some $$ to help him defeat Mike Rogers!
The question is not whether the current bill is the best possible health care reform bill; the question is whether this bill is better than the status quo. Only a fool or a Republican would think it's not.
Artur Davis, you, and I all know that this bill is the closest thing we are going to get to universal health care this session. Artur Davis has made it clear that his opposition to the bill is based on "cost containment issues," which is the GOP talking point for their opposition as well. He is not opposing this because it's not single payer or doesn't contain a public option; he is opposing it from the right. It is fundamentally dishonest to suggest otherwise.
Have you ever heard a more pathetic bunch of BS? It's positively Parker Griffith-esque in its attempt to throw a tiny rhetorical bone to Democrats while maintaining a solidly Republican stance on the issue.
Everyone check their in-boxes for the latest email from MoveOn.org. They are doing a big survey today of all members and it will determine the policy moving forward on healthcare reform. It is a fascinating example of democracy in action, and if you have a strong opinion (which I do) then this is the time to express your feelings and influence the stance this massive group is going to take. There are arguments for going with the President's plan and arguments for taking nothing less than the public option.
Here is what my official ballot looks like.
**OFFICIAL BALLOT** Dear MoveOn member, We're holding a full-membership vote TODAY to chart our course on health care. Can you weigh in? As you've probably read, President Obama and Democrats in Congress are aiming to pass a final health care package before the end of March. Not every detail is decided yet, but the final package will most likely look like the plan President Obama released two weeks ago. (For more information, see below.) The president has offered a proposal that resembles the health care bill the Senate passed in December, but with a few key fixes. It's definitely not the bill most of us hoped for at the start of this fight, but it does do some important things. And we need to know if MoveOn members want to support or oppose it. Can you vote today? All votes must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (PST) tomorrow, Wednesday, March 10th. The official question is: "Should MoveOn support or oppose the final health care bill if it looks like the plan recently proposed by President Obama?" http://www.moveon.org/healthcarevote/?id=19291-7778177-ER2AQwx&t=1 Before you vote, you'll be able to see arguments for both options from other MoveOn members, and afterwards, you can post your own argument for or against supporting the bill. MoveOn members have worked long and hard to win health care reform. The president's proposal doesn't include a public option, a key component we've pushed for—and regardless of what we decide together today, we'll keep fighting to pass a public option. But with big votes coming up, we need your input on the president's health care proposal. Click here to vote today: http://www.moveon.org/healthcarevote/?id=19291-7778177-ER2AQwx&t=2
Not only will the results be interesting, after you vote you can help them evaluate the actual message with a rating system. This is a great strategy for them to try to be representative of a very splintered progressive movement when it comes to healthcare options.
Let's even do our own survey with the same questions here at LIA!
Sen. Hinton Mitchem (D, Union Grove) was elected to the Alabama Senate in 1978. This will be his last year. Our own CommonSense predicted this several days ago. I'm very grateful that Mitchem has made his decision public so that Democrats will have a fighting chance to recruit a candidate for his Senate seat. I'm hearing that Rep. Jeff McLaughlin is unlikely, but Probate Judge Tim Mitchell may be in.
As for the other half of CommonSense's recent post -- that Mitchem might endorse a Republican as his successor, I will just note that the word "Democrat" does not appear even once in the 1200 word press release announcing his retirement.
With a crowd of about 400 sign-waving, chanting protesters outside the Huntsville Marriott this evening, temporary Congressman Parker Griffith (R-Liar) and his new best friend, Congressman John Boehner, decided that discretion was required.
They pulled in quietly, snuggled together in the back of an SUV (they left the same way: incognito) and were whisked into a no-press-allowed "fundraiser" that can't have raised many funds. It was held in a room not much larger than my living room/kitchen. Let's just say that AL-05 citizens weren't exactly beating down the doors to get in...
A source on the inside says that our turncoat Congressman and Alabama's most famous political adulterer called the demonstration outside an "embarrassment." Once again, we see Parker twisting language - or perhaps being so damn stupid he just can't get it right.
An embarrassment? Not for the bi-partisan group of folks that I would never have believed could have even amicably stood on a street corner waiting for a traffic light to change - much less spent an entertaining hour or so snapping photos of each other, exchanging email addresses, and reminding each other that we're all best friends. At least until June 1st!
No, Parker: the protest crowd was not an "embarrassment" but rather "embarrassing" for a clueless Congressman who thought that all he had to do was announce his own Epiphany during the Advent season and be welcomed with open arms by the people who- just a year earlier - had called him a killer and lover of terrorists.
When this year's edition of the thesaurus comes out, no doubt the noun "Idiot" will have "Parker Griffith" listed as a synonym. As will a large number of other nouns: liar, con artist, and more.
Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment thread and view a few photos on the flip. We have lots of video and pictures, but I need my dinner. I'm only posting a few tonight.
Update:Since it's the end of a long, long, satisfying day, I'm going to piggieback on countrycat's post with a few of my own observations, below. The photos at the end of the post that look like they were taken by a phone camera are mine, and they were. -- mooncat
1) The turnout was fantastic. I know it far exceeded my expectations and those of several other organizers. This morning Dale Jackson was telling his listeners that we needed at least 100 to 200 people there to make an impact -- and I'm not sure either Christie Carden or I were confident we could turn out a crowd like that. As it turns out, we had twice that many.
2) There was no trouble whatsoever between the Tea Party/Republicans and the more liberal elements of the crowd. Although labor officially just held a press conference and didn't participate in the protest, I saw several labor folks holding signs. It was a very good humored and genial crowd. For a while I was standing near a Republican woman who was surrounded by liberals (you could tell by the signs) but she was good natured about it. We agreed that this once we could stand side by side in pursuit of a better Congressman.
3) Speaking of labor participation, Alabama AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Al Henley really took a chunk off Parker Griffith. Al came prepared with all his facts and figures on Parker and laid into him good and proper. Unfortunately, my video of that went home with someone else tonight, but it's worth waiting for.
4) The AFL-CIO was generous enough to donate use of their conference area at the Marriott to the protest organizers for a presser of our own. They even stayed around to provide a cheering section. This truly was a consortium of groups on the left and on the right -- maybe even the middle -- who have found common cause against Griffith.
5) The Mo Brooks supporters were out in force. Mo worked the crowd himself and gave an interview or two. He stopped and had a nice chat with my family -- can't help but think he did himself some good with the activist right tonight.
6) There were some Les Philip supporters, as evidenced by buttons.
7) Democratic candidates did not attend the protest, although Mitchell Howie sat in on both press conferences.
8) This was a lot of fun. One foul-mouthed guy drove away from the hotel and yelled some ugly stuff out the window as he passed down the line of protesters. That was the only unpleasantness I saw. There were lots of chants of "No more Griffith" and even "Liar, liar, pants on fire." Liberals need to stop worrying so much about the possibility of looking silly and do more events like this one.
9) Many thanks to Christie Carden, Linda Haynes, the Alabama A&M Democratic Club and all the others who made this protest a success. I really feel like Griffith and Boehner know they got their asses kicked today in terms of PR.
Sadly, we have all become accumstomed to a certain degree of hypocrisy from our leaders but this is beyond the pale for a so called progressive.
Please, explain why you believe Davis will still be backing Constitutional Reform when the legislature turns hostile and he needs to appease financial backers for his next run.
He flip flopped on the key aspect of the national progressive agenda for the past half century despite it being backed by every progressive group imaginable and most industry groups. Once in office, why should he give a moment's notice to us peons in ACCR?
"The best investment Alabama can make is in itself," says Jeremy Sherer, Democratic candidate for Alabama Treasurer, as he pledged to deposit state money in Alabama financial institutions that "...make small business loans, entrepreneurial loans, farm loans, student loans, and invest within our local socio-economic fabric."
If only Sherer had been Treasurer last summer - instead of Kay Ivey - he might have been able to save Alabama jobs when lack of bank support forced Meadowcraft facilities in both Selma and Wadly, AL to close.
Sherer spoke last month to the Madison County Democratic Women about the challenges facing Alabama's next state treasurer and also answered questions later from Left in Alabama.
Problems with Alabama's Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program (PACT) have received the lion's share of attention, Sherer said. But the PACT crisis is just one more in a long line of important issues that current treasurer, Kay Ivey, has left unattended:
Not only has the Ivey administration overseen the collapse of Alabama's PACT program, but over the previous seven years, Alabama's once nationally-recognized, local banking industry has been decapitated.
We all know the names of the local financial institutions which, seven years ago, enriched our communities and employed our family members before the Ivey administration began managing our state's finances and investments - Southtrust, AmSouth, Colonial, Regions, Compass. Every one of those banks has since failed, merged or been purchased by an out of state bank.
Presently, $40 million of state taxpayer money is placed within a California based bank that in 2009 forced the bankruptcy of Meadowcraft, a financial sound Alabama industry that employed over 2,000 Alabamians across Jefferson, Dallas and Randolph Counties.
Alabama state taxpayer dollars belong in local banks that create jobs and invest in Alabamians, not with out of state banks that merely foreclose upon Alabamians.
There's a lot of attention today focused on a former Democrat - temporary Congressman Parker Griffith. That makes it a good day to take a look at a real Democrat who offers new ideas, innovative solutions, and pledges to work to move Alabama forward, not merely protect the status quo.
"Misrepresentations of a material fact made willfully to deceive, or recklessly without knowledge, and acted on by the opposite party, or if made by mistake and innocently and acted on by the opposite party, constitute legal fraud."
The foregoing law has been affirmed in numerous cases.* In 2008 Parker Griffith ran for Congress, in Alabama's 5th Congressional District, as a Democrat. He asked for and raised money, thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars as a Democrat. He solicited citizens' votes, as a Democrat.
Less than a year after taking the oath of office as Congressman, Parker Griffith declared that he was really, actually, a Republican.
In his December 2009, party-switching video announcement, Griffith lies, saying that he "was elected by the people of North Alabama as an independent, conservative congressman..." As everybody knows, he ran and was elected as a Democrat. That Griffith could so blatantly lie without any apparent concern that people would call him on such a lie bespeaks a contempt for all citizens of North Alabama (and the entire state, for that matter), no matter their party affiliation or political leaning.
It appears that Griffith's only defense against being labeled (sued as?) a Fraud is that the people of Alabama's 5th Congressional District knew from the start, during the 2008 Primary Season and in the run-up to the General Election in November 2008, that he was a congenital liar. And, thus, armed with the knowledge of his lying proclivities (so Griffith's argument must go), he cannot and should not be considered a Fraud or to have committed Fraud against North Alabamians.
What do you think about that?
_______________________
* See, additionally, the following from Kaye v. Pawnee Construction Company, Inc., 680 F2d 1360 (11th Cir. 1982)"
"In actions for misrepresentation of material facts under § 6-5-101 there must be a false representation, the false representation must concern a material existing fact, and the plaintiff must be damaged as a proximate result. Earnest v. Pritchett-Moore, Inc., 401 So.2d 752, 754 (Ala.1981); Pugh v. Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Sales, Inc., 369 So.2d 796, 797 (Ala.1979); International Resorts, Inc. v. Lambert, 350 So.2d 391, 394 (Ala.1977). The listed factors have particularized meanings. For example, misrepresentation requires an affirmative statement or misrepresentation. Mann v. Adams Realty Co., 556 F.2d 288, 296 (5th Cir. 1977). The good faith of the party making the statement is immaterial, Maring-Crawford Motor Co. v. Smith, 285 Ala. 477, 480, 233 So.2d 484, 487 (1970). No employment or contractual relationship need exist, Standard Oil Company v. Johnson, 276 Ala. 578, 580-581, 165 So.2d 361, 363-64 (1964), and an intent to deceive is not essential, Hall Motor Co. v. Furman, 285 Ala. 499, 502, 234 So.2d 37, 40 (Ala.1970); but an intent that the fact be relied on as an inducement to act or not to act is essential. Id. 40; Cartwright v. Braly, 218 Ala. 49, 52, 117 So. 477, 479-80 (1928); St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co. v. Anderson, 358 So.2d 151, 155 (Ala.Civ.App.1977), rev'd on another issue, 358 So.2d 167 (Ala.1978) (concurring opinion stressing that the intent of the speaker to induce the plaintiff to act is an essential element in innocent misrepresentation when the context is of a casual nature or where reasonableness of plaintiff's reliance is an issue). . ."
Okay, I've started something new that I hope will become a regular feature of this blog. That feature is called Counterpunch! It's a short, 2.5 minute podcast on a single subject. I will speak for one side of an issue for one minute, and somebody else will offer a contrasting view.
The first episode asks whether or not we should have a Constitutional Convention for the purpose of rewriting Alabama's state Constitution. Speaking in favor of it is Sherry Walker from the "Left In Alabama" blog. We both had one minute to make our basic case.
Our hope is that the feature will be interesting, entertaining, and informative. We're interested in your feedback on how it went... please comment on your overall impressions of the piece. Whether you agree with me or Sherry isn't at issue... you can tell us your opinion if you like, but it won't affect future episodes.
We'll produce and run a few episodes to see how you guys like them. If it is a success, then we'll keep doing them.
One of my major beefs with Parker Griffith's decision to switch parties midstream is that he automatically gave up his committee assignments, two of which were very important to the future of North Alabama. He sat on the Transportation Committee which influences road funding and the Science and Technology Committee which oversees NASA, among other things. Griffith had no committee assignments whatsoever for over 6 weeks.
Republicans finally made room for him on the Commerce committee and Griffith has spun that as a plum assignment -- virtually the best thing that could have happened for his constituents. In looking back at this video from Griffith's announcement in 2008, I noticed a reporter asked him what committee he hoped to serve on if elected. Surprisingly, Commerce is not mentioned at all. Listen, starting at about 20 seconds:
I would love, of course to be on Appropriations, I'd love to be on Intelligence, but there is a committee assignment that happens about every 5 years and that's Transportation. We need that desperately here.
The committee assignments this guy gave up were plums, Commerce is merely the best his new pals could do. Just another instance of Parker Griffith changing his tune, spinning things to his own advantage.
The U.S. space agency doesn't want to help lead to even more American job loss, but is running out of options. Obama must deal with political pressure, potential for thousands of additional job losses, and mounting criticism from Americans who want to see a real outline.
Political pressure is possibly having the desired result when it comes to NASA and the President's plan to end Constellation and send jobs to the private sector. Seems he is going to Florida (swing state) to possibly announce a possible adjustment to the plan. Notice he is not coming to Huntsville, but then Alabama is not politically viable for him right now.
Could the team of Battle, Davis and our hired gun Cramer actually be getting things done? Cross your fingers and lets see what happens!
Make that OUR 2008 money!
Surely, Congressman Boehner would liked to have seen the sign that - all things considered - asked him rather politely to leave town. 
They pulled in quietly, snuggled together in the back of an SUV (they left the same way: incognito) and were whisked into a no-press-allowed "fundraiser" that can't have raised many funds. It was held in a room not much larger than my living room/kitchen. Let's just say that AL-05 citizens weren't exactly beating down the doors to get in... 
If only Sherer had been Treasurer last summer - instead of Kay Ivey - he might have been able to save Alabama jobs when 
