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Is this the action of misguided friends of Ron Sparks or of his actual enemies? Checking whois.com you find that arturdavis.com is registered to one William Thompson, someone I suspect is a sincere Sparks supporter. Everyone is entitled to a bad call, but this seems like the kind of superficial shenanigans the electorate is tired of.
No comment on this from Artur Davis' office. It's worth noting that ArturDavis2010.com and Davis2010.com are also reserved and don't redirect to the Ron Sparks site. Personally, I still think Sparks will defer to Jim Folsom, Jr. and go after the Lt. Gov. spot in 2010.
If your circle of friends isn't expanding, then it must be shrinking. That's especially true for political parties so this news from Rasmussen is particularly good for Democrats:
The number of Americans who consider themselves to be Democrats inched up again in December to 41.6%. That’s up two-tenths of a point since November and the third straight monthly increase in the number of Democrats.
...
At the same time, the number of Republicans declined a full percentage point from 33.8% in November to 32.8% in December. That’s the lowest number of Republicans since August. The number claiming allegiance to the GOP peaked in September at 34.4% as the party enjoyed a convention bounce and Sarah Palin was picked as the party’s Vice Presidential nominee.
...
Currently, the Democrats enjoy an 8.8 percentage point advantage over Republicans. Two years ago, in the December after Democrats regained control of Congress, they enjoyed a 6.9 percentage point advantage over the GOP in terms of partisan identification. That was their biggest advantage ever prior to 2008.
Barack Obama, with his remarkably inclusive "yes we can" campaign, has done a great deal to expand the number of Americans who identify with the Democratic party or at least feel friendly toward it. The great challenge will be to keep growing that circle of friends and make sure party officials don't feel so threatened by the new activism they try to replace "Yes we can!" with "No you can't!" Look at the current disarray in the Republican party to see where that will lead.
It is customary for an incoming president to replace all US Attorneys, in much the same way all Cabinet members are ordinarily replaced. Bill Gates seems to be the exception this time around, but there's no expectation that President-elect Obama will retain any of the three US Attorneys currently serving in Alabama. An Advisory Committee named by Congressman Artur Davis has recieved applications from the following people interested in the US Attorney positions in Alabama.
Southern District:
Patrick H. Sims who resides in Mobile. Ian Rosenthal who lives and work in Mobile. Vicki M. Davis who lives and works in Mobile as an Assistant United States Attorney. Edward Kendall lives in Montgomery and Mobile, but practices law in Montgomery. Ronnie L. Williams resides and maintains a law office in Mobile.
Middle District:
Steve Dodd who resides in Montgomery. James H. Anderson who lives and practices law in Montgomery. Joseph P. Van Heest who lives in and practices criminal law in Montgomery. Clark Morris who lives and works as an Assistant United States Attorney in Montgomery.
Northern District:
Brian Kilgore who lives in Hoover and practices law in Birmingham. Carolyn W. Steverson who is a resident of Vance in Tuscaloosa County. Glenda D. Freeman Joyce Vance who resides in Birmingham. Jim Sturdivant who lives in Vestavia Hills and practices law in Birmingham.
Any District:
Michel Nicrosi who lives in Daphne and has her primary law office in Mobile. She is willing to serve in any of the three districts.
The Advisory Committee is accepting public comments on these applicants, here is the comment form.
Roland Burris is our man, if he can't do it nobody can!
Watch him handle the White Wing Media. I just head CNN Talking TeeVee Pundit Head Rick Sanchez, say Roland Burris was "almost angry and that he wasn't "afraid of the camera, as a matter of fact he likes the cameras" Huh?. He's counter part responded he was "surprised Burris was speaking out in the media" and that Barack Obama, who is African American,and the IL SOC who are both African American has said he should not be seated which helps Senate Democrats". Huh?
Hope everyone had an enjoyable Holiday season with family and friends. We had a great one at my house. Now it is time to get back to work.
We have set the next Compassionate Care meeting (Medical marijuana) for this coming Saturday Jan. 10. It will be from 5 pm to 7 pm at the following address
Prince Hall Masonic Grand Lodge 2nd Floor Auditorium 1630 4th Avenue North, Birmingham
This meeting will be a training session in preparation for the upcoming legislative session which begins on Feb. 3 I believe. Please bring your friends, family and anyone else who might be interested. Drink and snack items will be provided.
For more information you may contact me at lorettanall@gmail.com
Senator Harry Reid was on Meet the Pest, I mean Press today denying he didn't want any black people in the U.S. Senate and counting the number of black folks he'd helped (Harold Ford and some 9th circut judge), anyway, Reid told Blago, Don't appoint Jesse Jackson, Jr, Emil Jones, or Danny Davis, and guess who ripped him a new one, Senator John Coryn (republiKlan, Texas)! It's getting hot in here!
Of all those responsible for Barack Obama's successful campaign, Dean is the least recognized and most unrewarded. Yet in many ways, Dean paved the way for Obama's victory. He was John the Baptist to Obama's Messiah.
The fact is, GM (Ford and Chrysler) has to shell out aprox. $74.00 per hour, per UAW assembly line employee working the shift. And 95% of that amount to those sitting idle in the "jobs bank". We all know that UAW workers hourly wage rate isn't $74.00 as it averages $28.00 an hour. But the $74.00 an hour figure which includes health benefits and legacy costs is what the UAW charges the domestic auto makers for each UAW employee working the shift. So quit trying to officiate the facts. You may think the public to be stupid. But that too is a lie
My time is a bit limited today (I promise I'll be back to normal blogging starting tomorrow) and the actual cost of the Jobs Bank to the auto makers escapes me -- gold star to anyone who can find a figure -- but I know for a fact it isn't anything like "95% of that amount." This is what a quick Google search came up with on the Jobs Bank cost:
UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said Wednesday the jobs bank was a relatively small cost for the automakers. But he acknowledged it was being used as a symbol of excess by some members of Congress to reject loans for the automakers.
I don't think the public is stupid but given the amount of misinformation being put forth by right wing union bashers and their tools, it is clear that the facts need friends who will call BS when they see it. If that is "officiating the facts" then I'm proud to do it.
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A top Senate Republican said Friday his caucus would block any attempt to seat the winner of Minnesota's close election until an anticipated court case is finished and an official election certificate is issued.
Pending the counting of hundreds of unopened absentee ballots, Democrat Al Franken holds a 49-vote lead over incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, whose term expires at noon EST Saturday.
Minnesota's other senator, Democrat Amy Klobuchar, has said the man with the most votes after the recount concludes should be seated while legal matters play out.
Wouldn't this be a great time for the new senate to remove the filibuster and pave the way to stop the obstructionists before they get started? Change the senate rules and seat Franken. It could be months before all of Coleman's legal challenges are exhausted. Remember when he chastised Franken for not being willing to concede? Like Illinois, Minnesota also deserves to be represented by two senators.
(Updated 7:48 PM Alabama Time. - promoted by Redeye)
Seriously, the mainstream media, and the Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads think you are stoopid and you are playing right into their hands with the Blagoveich/Burris made for TeeVee Scandal of the Week. Think about it, this is the same MSM and TTPH's that had you believing Saddam Hussien had tons and tons of WMD and were about to use them on us. The same MSM and TTPH's that had you believing there was a link between Saddam Hussien and 911. The same MSM and TTPH's that helped out an under cover CIA agent. We won't talk about Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman, but do you get my drift?
The Democratic leadership's current contingency plan for next week is reportedly for Burris to be met at the chamber by a doorman telling him he's not allowed inside.
Psst! If you do this you will look like former Governor George C. Wallace standing in the school house door of the University of Alabama denying Attorney General nominee Eric Holders sister in law, Vivian Malone entrance. Is that really the image you want to protray to the American people? I don't think so. But that's just me.
(We might as well start the new year off with a bang and some activism. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a healthy, happy and safe New Year. I look forward to ranting with all of you in 2009.
We could hardly end 2008 without delivering a George Orwell Honorable Mention to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for its truly extraordinary “acceptable use” policy on employee Internet use. There’s nothing strange about the language of the policy–in fact it’s pedestrian (the Internet “may not be used for any activity which is destructive, disruptive, or illegal” it says). But how the university interprets and applies this prohibition might surprise an observer–unless, of course, the observer is attuned to the peculiarities of Alabama politics.
Case in point: The university recently fired Roger Shuler, a long-time public relations employee who blogs on legal developments under the moniker “the Legal Schnauzer,” apparently expressing concern in a grievance hearing over the fact that he regularly visited and read Harper’s. After The Chronicle of Higher Education reported on the firing, the university posted a credibility-straining assertion that the firing was “based solely on work performance.” Also according to the Chronicle:
The university told The Raw Story that Mr. Shuler had not been fired for blogging, but it would not comment further. In June an appeals committee at the university voted to overturn Mr. Shuler’s dismissal. But he says the university recently told him that, while he could be rehired, he would not get his former job back.
Shuler says that the decision to fire him was based on the political content of his blog posts, which were critical of Alabama Governor Bob Riley and one of his key allies, U.S. Attorney Alice Martin. According to Shuler, the firing occurred only a few months after one of Riley’s political cronies threatened him with the loss of his job because of his blogging. Indeed, to the university’s chagrin, his final review session was taped, and portions which have now been published suggest that the primary concern of his reviewers was that he was publicly critical of the state’s political powers.
Martin’s office, according to a report from Raw Story, denied that “her office was in any way involved with Shuler’s termination. ‘There has been no contact by the office to Mr Shuler’s employer,’ she wrote.” So what led to the firing? That apparently will be for a court to determine. In the meantime it’s worth noting some other cases of Internet abuse at the university to see how they were handled.
Apparently the university actually is prepared to be liberal about Internet use–as long as that use isn’t in “liberal” interests. Huntsville CBS affiliate WHNT recently broadcast a study of the university’s bizarre double standard. One university employee recently used her work account to pen this note to the leaders of an Anti-Proposition 8 group in California: “You freaks make me sick. You are the scourge of the earth and are responsible for everything that’s wrong in this sorry world because of the immorality you have brought on the world as a whole.” The university’s response to the use of its facilities to transmit this hate mail? According to WHNT, they won’t say more than that they did “follow up appropriately as outlined by UAB’s Acceptable Use Policy”; there is no evidence of whether any disciplinary action was taken. WHNT’s Greg Privett also noted a widely circulated ditty coming from the university’s pediatrics office. It starts “Wuz the night befo Crizzmus” and it proceeds to ridicule President-Elect Obama in overtly racist tones. Surely this violates the university’s “acceptable use” policy?
It seems that in Birmingham one type of “political speech” is protected and can be freely spread using the university’s servers while another is not–even when the employee is expressing it on private time and his own computer. George Orwell would understand.
Now, who can you contact? Some ideas below the fold.
OK gang! Here's a short diary to post your New Years resolutions. What do you resolve to do differently in 2009 or what changes do you resolve to make?
Myself, I resolve to lose 52 pounds in 2009. If you can't lose a pound a week, you ain't trying. ~ Dale, Jr.
Is he an innocent man, who simply fulfilled his duty as Governor? Was it a cheap ploy to take the heat off of him and put it on the Democratic leadership? Could it be that he was "crazy like a fox, playing to future black jurors"? Or did he think "it buys him time in office"? Personally, I think he did it because he's an asshole who's lost everything, and he wants to trash the joint before he's impeached. What do you think?
And, as I pointed out, Black folk are ‘ suspect’ of the entire Blago takedown. Doesn’t sound right to us. Plus, if you’ve lived under King Richard Daley II, who has had pretty much EVERYONE around him arrested, indicted and convicted - it will take a lot to convince Black folks that Blago is the worst person, or even the worst Illinois crook. Blago’s only been around 7 years, and he’s been fighting with all the folks that have made Black folks’ lives miserable in Illinois for a long time before we heard his name. He probably is stupid. Crooked - yep. But, consider the crookdom that we’ve seen up close and personal, Blago just isn’t this scary bogeyman national media wants to make him out to be.
Riley bypassed state Attorney General Troy King to create the Governor's Task Force on Illegal Gambling, headed by former Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber. Riley initially appointed King in 2004, but they now disagree about Alabama's gambling laws.
Riley said King believes there are loopholes that permit electronic gambling machines in some locations, but Riley considers many of them to be illegal slot machines.
"I believe what is going on in many of these halls all over the state is illegal," Riley said at a news conference in the Capitol.
Today a Member of Congress from Illinois challenged the President of the United States decision to involve the United States in a foreign war and his extension of the war powers of the executive.
The Member of Congress further attacked the factual validity of the President's reasons for going to war and supported the position that the war had been "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President"
Sound familiar? - see below the fold for the whole story
What had been a truce between Israel and the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip seems to have abruptly come to a halt; with the Israelis blaming Hamas and Hamas blaming Israeli oppression of the displaced Palestinians for the simmering hostilities that are now boiling over into military-scale violence.
Before the recent holidays and an immoderate amount of snow buried me in things that could not be done on the computer we had been having a conversation about the strategic importance of our relationship with Egypt. Within that series of discussions we explored the influence of the political opposition, and we considered the fragility of President Mubarak’s hold on power.
We also noted the immediate proximity of Egypt to the Gaza Strip.
Today we’re going to tie all of that together—and the end result of all that tying is that we better keep a close eye on Egypt, because trouble in Gaza has spilled over into trouble in Cairo….and that’s one more Middle Eastern problem we don’t need.
I was both pleasantly surprised and delighted to see a commentary by George E. Curry in today's print edition of The Huntsville Times. My delight became disgust when I read the title of the commentary, Beyond the Spin; Obama is right on Warren. Why is it the only time African American opinion is welcome in the media is when it justifies the conservative point of view? But I digress.
I was especially pleased to see George E. Curry's byline because he is a respected voice in the African American Community, a Tuscaloosa, Alabama native, a product of the Tuscaloosa City school system, and someone whose opinion I am usually in complete agreement.
Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Curry graduated from Druid High School of that city and attended Knoxville College in Tennessee, Harvard and Yale. At Knoxville, Curry was editor of the school paper, quarterback and co-captain of the football team and a member of the school's Board of Trustees. In 1986, he wrote and served as chief correspondent for the widely praised television documentary, “Assault on Affirmative Action,” which was aired as part of the "Frontline" series on PBS. He was featured in a segment of "One Plus One," a national PBS documentary on mentoring that was first televised in 1989.
This time we part company. As a matter of fact Curry was on Rev. Al Sharptons radio show recently talking about this issue and recieving heat from callers for his position.
President-elect Barack Obama is taking a lot of heat for selecting the Rev. Rick Warren, an ardent opponent of abortion rights and same-sex marriage, to give the inaugural invocation next month. Obama differs with the evangelical preacher on abortion and many other social issues, but he did not let those differences prevent him from extending the invitation.
It was a courageous decision. It was also the correct one.
Of all the tests Americans take each year, It's time to throw out the most narrow-minded kind: the litmus test. The left and right are equally guilty of administering these political pass/fail quizzes.
I wasn't able to get a call in to the radio show, so I will use this diary to explain why I disagree with Curry below the fold.
Well, I feel much better now. For a while, I thought that "Magic Negro" thing was racist bigotry of the worst kind, being promulgated by our ...uh...what's the phrase?..."loyal opposition" party. But I am reassured by the words of Paul Reynolds, a Republican party committeeman from the proud, reasonable and forward-looking state of Alabama. He explains it this way.
“Chip probably could have thought it through a bit more, but he was doing everyone a favor by giving us a gift,” he said. “This is just people looking for something to make an issue of.”
See, it's just those uppity colored folks again.making trouble. Follow me for more detais.
A recent poll shows 72% of Americans disapprove of the job George W. Bush has done as president. The good folks at CQ Politics have compiled a list of how often our elected representatives voted with President Bush this year and, boy howdy, it's clear from their votes that Alabama's Republican representatives do not share the general public's disapproval of Bush. In fact, they pretty much have it backwards, siding with Bush an average of 68% of the time last year.
Last Name
First Name
Seat
Member Since
Party
Bush Support
Party Unity
Participation
Bonner
Jo
AL-01
2003
R
76%
97%
92%
Everett
Terry
AL-02
1993
R
75%
97%
89%
Rogers
Mike
AL-03
2003
R
53%
88%
97%
Aderholt
Robert
AL-04
1997
R
67%
96%
95%
Cramer
Bud
AL-05
1991
D
29%
95%
89%
Bachus
Spencer
AL-06
1993
R
68%
94%
92%
Davis
Artur
AL-07
2003
D
24%
96%
98%
It's even worse with our two Senators:
Last Name
First Name
Seat
Member Since
Party
Bush Support
Party Unity
Participation
Shelby
Richard
AL
1987
R
74%
95%
99%
Sessions
Jeff
AL
1997
R
74%
98%
99%
There are a couple of points to take away from CQ's vote analysis. First, we are well rid of Terry Everett in AL-02. He announced his retirement late last year but still sided with Mr. Worst President Ever a whopping 75% of the time, exceeded only by Jo Bonner in the Alabama delegation. Second, although Josh Segall came up short in AL-03, he succeeded in forcing Mike Rogers to the left. In 2008 Rogers only sided with Bush 53% of the time, considerably less than in previous years. That's more proof that AL-03 is not a good fit for a conservative Republican like Rogers and that it would be well worth it for Segall or another progressive Democrat to challenge him again in 2010. Oh, and please don't tell me that either of our Senators, voting with their party upwards of 95% of the time, is "independent" or, God forbid, "a maverick."
On a positive note, President-elect Obama's approval rating is currently hovering at, oh, about 82%. That's record territory for an incoming president. Perhaps coincidentally, Barack Obama is also the most admired man in America.
However strongly we support Obama, we do him no favors when we spare him our criticism. Only by kicking his ass when he’s wrong can we ever hope to help steer him right. That’s not because of who he is – but because of who he’s up against...who we’re up against.
Two victims of workplace discrimination recently received justice in court--and both cases have their roots in the South.
Both cases also involve substantial amounts of money, an indication that courts do not look kindly upon organizations that discriminate and retaliate against their employees.
In eight days, the 111th Congress will begin. Amidst the pomp and circumstance of the swearing in ceremony, the focus on the economic stimulus package, and the continuing circus surrounding vacant Senate seats, one of the more unheralded events will be the introduction of several hundred new pieces of legislation. Two years ago, by January 5th, 2007--only two days after the swearing in of the new Democratic majority--318 new pieces of legislation were introduced to the House, and 192 new pieces of legislation were introduced to the Senate.
For the White House, the “permanent campaign” is fighting to win every news cycle, and protecting information with a tight inner circle of in-the-know people. The Bush administration mastered the art of the permanent campaign—is Barack Obama following suit?
Unless citizens are vigilant and demanding, the entire U.S. will be subjected to the same forces that swept through the Gulf Coast after Katrina – spending huge amounts of money and leaving a second disaster behind.
Despite promises of buckets of bucks, New Orleans still has sixty thousand abandoned homes. Media reports say that 75% of the abandoned buildings have homeless people sleeping in them. Public healthcare and public education and public housing are all less available and being thoroughly privatized. Crime is sky high though we still have 100 National Guard members patrolling our streets.
