Alabama District 9 Senator Mitchem has a surprise for Democrats

That's a fine kettle of fish! (0.00 / 0)

Dither about whether or not you're running for reelection, wait until very late in the game to decide you're not, then endorse a Republican!?  What is up with this?

One potential good thing that could come of this is Jeff McLaughlin in the Alabama Senate.  He's the guy who's shepherded the PAC to PAC transfer ban through the House for 8 or 9 years running only to see it die in the Senate.  Maybe he could finally get this job done from the other chamber.

But, it would be a heck of a lot better for everybody if the Senate would just pass the ban this year and take the credit for it with voters in November.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 20:23:35 PM CST

Really? (4.00 / 1)

This is the so called majority that some Dems feel is important to keep in the House and Senate? Interesting, they do absolutely nothing for YEARS and stab you in the neck on the way out the door.  I would rather have a Repug in the seat, at least he wont hide the fact that he is a filthy, lying sack of garbage.

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by: Takenoprisoners @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 20:37:13 PM CST

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You want to have a conversation about the ineffectiveness... (0.00 / 0)

of Democrats in the Alabama legislature? I think that is entirely appropriate.

However, to even suggest that Republicans would be no different of even better is ridiculous. The truth is that the only reason Alabama Dems have been able to remain in power is that the Republicans in our state are for the most part so friggin crazy they make the guys in DC look rational.

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by: bluebearcat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:28:39 PM CST

[ Parent ]

That is debateable (4.00 / 1)

Considering it seems just as many Democrats seems to cockblock constitutional reform as Republicans.  The few state Democrats who are right like persay Patricia Todd and John Knight are so few and far between because the majority of Democrats either go along with the crowd or lets the senority of those in the party overtalk and run over them...

A number of Alabama Democrat politicos needs to learn what being moderate and progressive versus being either liberal and conservative because too many of them let their own egos and powertrip overtake their minds. Hence why they allow such status quo persist for so long and miss out on so many opportunities for this state.

"Hypocrites are those whom pick and choose prejudices while giving accolades for their own..."

"It is what it is."  

http://blkindependent.blogspot...

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by: kayman @ Fri Mar 05, 2010 at 12:26:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]

McLaughlin could beat Aderholt in AL-4. (4.00 / 2)

When Doc's did a survey of the state legislature of who was the greatest statesman, McLaughlin was almost a unanimous choice. If and when Mitchem leaves the Alabama Senate, McLaughlin would be my number one to replace him, but I think the guy is so great that he could aim even higher.

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by: bluebearcat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:25:17 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I love Jeff McLaughlin, and I would love to see him in higher office (4.00 / 2)

Here's my only (tiny) problem with him moving up: the reason he's been able to speak his mind and support what I consider to be important, progressive issues like ethics and constitutional reform is that he self-funds his campaigns and takes NO campaign contributions.  I don't know what the cost difference is between a House and Senate race, but I doubt he could continue his current practice if he runs for higher office.  Special interests would be salivating after him because he has such a stellar reputation.  I wonder if he could fund a campaign totally on individual contributions or at least without any PAC money.  Do the campaign veterans here have any ideas about this?

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by: Kathy @ Fri Mar 05, 2010 at 10:48:02 AM CST

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I don't believe it... (4.00 / 1)

I know Senator Mitchem personally and I grew up with one of his closest staffers.  Mitchem has floated rumors about switching parties before but (I think it's OK for me to say this now) it has always been political gamesmanship.  He has used that rumor to keep stronger general election opponents from getting into the race.

This sounds like a similar ploy. Mitchem is about as hard core a Democrat as they come.  He may not always have been as progressive as I would have liked but I know Democrats and I know fakers, and he has always seemed like a tried-and-true Democrat to me.  This may be a ploy like when Bud Cramer announced that he wasn't sure which party's nominee he would endorse in AL-5 (sure he wasn't) to help an eventual Democratic nominee when he endorses them.

Besides, I'm not familiar with commonsense and I cannot recall off the top of my head many posts or comments from them.  I always feel a bit uncomfortable when someone who is not a regular breaks a rumor on this site.  

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by: bluebearcat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:20:40 PM CST

I know commonsense (4.00 / 1)

And spoke to commonsense before promoting this.  This information is from someone on the ground in the district, with direct knowledge of the people involved.

That said, intentions can change and as you noted, some rumors are floated on purpose to be dispelled later.  That may be the case here, but the rumors are definitely floating in Mitchem's vicinity.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:30:58 PM CST

[ Parent ]

From an anonymous source... (4.00 / 2)

as politically close to Mitchem as possible...

I have no information as to whether Mitchem will retire or not.

But I do know for a fact that Mitchem will not endorse a Republican for this seat.

If he does, either I have been lied to or Mitchem has lied to my source himself. 

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by: bluebearcat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:35:24 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Time will tell (4.00 / 1)

I will mention that when countrycat and I attended a Republican Women's lunch recently to speak to Parker Griffith, a man we chatted with was very interested in this Senate race.  It was all inside party gossip stuff, but the gist was that he was convinced that a couple of the ostensible Republican candidates were too close to Mitchem for comfort and were essentially RINOS.   He thought they were in the race to be sure that a de facto Democrat would win that seat even if Mitchem retired or outright lost the race.  He was careful to distinguish between the real and fake Republicans in the race.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:40:29 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Who said he was switching? (4.00 / 1)

Please revisit the original post.  There is no "read between the lines" message.

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by: CommonSense @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:36:11 PM CST

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You said he would endorse a Republican... (4.00 / 1)

I can tell you definitively that is not the case.

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by: bluebearcat @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 21:45:28 PM CST

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Hinton has looked me straight in the eye.... (4.00 / 1)

and has not always told the truth.  My sources are solid. 

Hinton's tired.  The last election really took a toll on him.  If you're close to Hinton then you remember that the Republicans threw everything at him. 

The Spurlin camp is not sure if the endorsement will help or hurt their campaign but they're salivating at how it could open up Hinton's donor list. 

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by: CommonSense @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 22:03:33 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I'll believe if/when I see it... (0.00 / 0)

He might retire but I will be shocked if he endorses a Republican.

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by: bluebearcat @ Fri Mar 05, 2010 at 10:29:06 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Re: I don't believe it... (4.00 / 1)

I was referring to your post where you argued that Hinton would never switch parties.  You left the reader with the idea that I broke a rumor that Hinton was switching parties and it was important to set the record straight.

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by: CommonSense @ Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 22:08:48 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Senator Mitchem (0.00 / 0)

You have to wonder about some of Hinton's so-called "close friends" if they are spouting garbage like this!  This is a joke and CommonSense hasn't got any.  Who is it that's really tring to manipulate things?....It is definitely NOT Senator Mitchem.

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by: alabama blue @ Fri Mar 05, 2010 at 11:44:49 AM CST

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Democrats are not laughing in Marshall County (4.00 / 1)

Senator Mitchem is saying that he will release a statement as early as this Monday to announce that he will not seek re-election.  With less than 30 days until qualifying ends, he's left Democrats scrambling to field a candidate for the open seat.  McLaughlin won't seek the open seat and the focus is now on Probate Judge Tim Mitchell. 

As to the endorsement angle - you'll be hard-pressed to get anyone to admit publicly to the idea right now.  Both camps are grumbling that this detail has been leaked.   

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by: CommonSense @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 at 10:08:13 AM CST

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I like the Tim Mitchell idea. (4.00 / 1)

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by: Gayla @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 at 15:21:01 PM CST

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I think some of you don't know Mitchem as well as you (0.00 / 0)

think you do.  This has been swirling in Marshall County for quite a bit; the only surprise is Spurlin getting the endorsement rather than Cochran.

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by: Gayla @ Fri Mar 05, 2010 at 15:12:53 PM CST

Double Standard? (0.00 / 0)

Gentle reminder of what was said to me about postings and sources and the consequences;

I'm not accusing you of lying (0.00 / 0)

But I do say that too often you don't check your facts before you post, with the result that inaccurate information sometimes ends up on our front page under your byline. That is A Problem. When the inaccuracy is noted, you don't always correct it. Another Problem. This goes directly to your credibility and that of this blog, which is my Problem. Kathy is trying to do you the favor of pointing out that you aren't the least bit consistent in your statements. My read is that you're about a hairsbreadth from calling her a racist which would be not only inaccurate, but a damned lie.

Since you have front page privileges here, I must say I'm dismayed to read this statement:

It's that I don't consider myself a reporter, or this dairy to be news, or even making news. Disclaimer: I am not a reporter nor do I play one on Left in Alabama. I am a blogger.  The views and opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

You are absolutely entitled to your opinion and to include your opinion in any diary. But front page privileges come with a somewhat higher responsibility -- to make an attempt to check information before you report it, because you are reporting to a rather wide audience here. Expressing opinion is fair game, and so is passing on interesting information from other sources, but I remind you that you do have a responsibility to our readers to make a good faith attempt to insure information is accurate before you pass it on.  We aren't a gossip sheet, nor do we want to be one.  I say this publicly because all our readers need to know that the facts matter to us here. Our readers may prefer to fact check for themselves -- good for them -- but I hope they don't catch us in errors very often. Facts matter, that's job one for me, and an important guideline for our front pagers.  

Work harder and work smarter!

The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.~Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D. MA)

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by: Redeye @ Fri Mar 05, 2010 at 17:11:23 PM CST

Say what you will about Bedford (0.00 / 0)

But Roger Bedford may have saved the majority a few weeks ago. His gun bill is pure genious. It is popular with the people of Alabama and here is the clincher. Not a single white Democrat in the Alabama Senate voted against it. There was a white Republican who voted against it. The Business Council of Alabama opposes it.

 If we run on this issue and run hard we can take the gun rights issue, which is a populist issue, and tie it in to an overriding message of economic populism and attacks on organizations like the BCA. If we do it right it could work to make the national political environment irrelevant in Alabama and if we can do that we'll hold on.

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by: jacool @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 at 06:22:03 AM CST

I'm tired of stunts that allow us to "hold on" (4.00 / 1)

How about Democrats embrace good policies that would move this state forward and improve the quality of life here?  Then we might "make gains" instead of continuing to "hold on."

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 at 06:55:41 AM CST

[ Parent ]

exactly how (4.00 / 1)

does the gun rights issue tie into economic populism?

I ask this question as someone who just got a brand, spanking new shotgun from my spouse as an anniversary present.  So I'm far from being anti-gun.

But I've worked with some really, really odd people.  And I'd hate to think about some of those jokers feeling free to keep a couple of pieces in their cars, just in case...

And, as a small business owner, I'm even more adamant that I should have the right, should I choose to use it, to keep firearms off my property.  If that puts me in the BCA camp on this one issue, so be it.

Bedford and company are pulling a stunt and dancing to the tune of the NRA.  It's sad to see Democrats pushing stupid legislation like this in a pathetic attempt to pander for votes. 

 

I'm not short.  I'm fun size!!

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by: countrycat @ Sat Mar 06, 2010 at 21:09:26 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Rich people (0.00 / 0)

Rich people can afford to live in the nicest areas and gated communities.

 They can afford private security services

 They can afford fancy alarm systems.

 When they call the police they can expect the police to rush out to defend them.

 

Now, poor people.

Can't afford those nice neighborhoods.

Can't afford that ADT.

 Can't afford private security services.

 Can't really expect the police to give a damn about them.

 

 They only have themselves to protect themselves, with guns if necessary. That's how most working class and middle class Alabamians view the gun issue. So, run with it.

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by: jacool @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 06:20:36 AM CST

[ Parent ]

All of which (4.00 / 1)

has absolutely nothing to do with taking a gun to work with you.

I'm not short.  I'm fun size!!

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by: countrycat @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 07:57:12 AM CST

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Sweet Jesus, so now we sell out to the NRA (4.00 / 2)

to protect us from the BCA.  Ask yourself which of these organizations is more dangerous to our well-being?

A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead  

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by: piggieheart @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 08:14:08 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Amen again (0.00 / 0)

To you and countrycat.  This is a stunt, and after the mass shooting at UAH recently, I'd think it might be perfectly obvious why it isn't a good idea to have guns in the workplace. 

And don't trot out an excuse about how if those professors had had guns in their cars, lives might have been saved.  Do you think that woman would have waited between victims had someone said, "Hold on a minute, let me run to the car and get my shotgun"?  

The workplace, like the schoolhouse, ought to be a safe zone.

Work harder and work smarter!

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by: mooncat @ Sun Mar 07, 2010 at 09:09:50 AM CST

[ Parent ]