Jeremy Sherer - PACT Is Just ONE Important Part of Alabama Treasurer's Responsibilities

by: countrycat

Mon Mar 08, 2010 at 10:25:31 AM CST

"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.

More details about Sherer's plans on the flip:

Jeremy Sherer Explains How Alabama's Constitution Affects Transportation & Development in the State

by: countrycat

Thu Feb 18, 2010 at 18:30:00 PM CST

Democratic candidate for Alabama Treasurer, Jeremy Sherer, explained his position on Constitution reform to the Madison County Democratic Women on Feb. 4, 2010.

Sherer described how the present constitition constrains transportation funding and economic development and - even more important - doesn't refect modern values.

We've written a lot about constitution reform at LIA and focused mainly on the Alabama Citizens for Constitution Reform (ACCR) and the candidates for governor.  Congressman Artur Davis has been a strong supporter of constitution reform, while Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks has opposed a constitutional convention.

However, we tend to forget that other elected officials in Alabama are just as important to this process.  If the constitutional officers - from Governor to Treasurer on down - express strong support for reform, they can help move the Legislature.  They can present a united front that encourages progressive change in the state.

Furthermore, it's past time to encourage our younger members in the Alabama Democratic Party to step up and assume leadership positions.  If you want change in Alabama's government, then elect change candidates.

The video and a partial transcrip is on the flip.  Learn more about Jeremy Sherer for Treasurer at his Web site.  Or - even better! - donate to the campaign via his ACT Blue account.  

Charley Grimsley Challenge Raises the Question: What Are Our Standards for Candidates?

by: countrycat

Thu Feb 11, 2010 at 10:39:00 AM CST

The State Democratic Executive Board is scheduled to meet on Friday, February 19th at 1pm in Montgomery – at the AEA executive board room – in a "show cause" hearing about potential candidate for Treasurer Charley Grimsley.   (The Political Parlor has a report up today on it.)  

This is in response to the "Challenge Subcommittee" of the State Democratic Executive Committee's (SDEC) ruling released Monday, Feb. 8.  It's in reference to  SDEC member, Pam Miles', challenge of Charley Grimsley's intention to run for Treasurer in the Democratic Primary.  

Read the text of the challenge in this PDF.  
Read the text of the SDEC subcommittee ruling in this PDF.  

What does all this legalese mean?  The SDEC Subcommittee (chaired by Dr. Joe Reed) passed the buck.  It had been asked to decide if Grimsley violated party by-laws when he openly supported Republican candidates in general election contests with Democratic opponents.  Given that Grimsley's generosity to Republican candidates and causes is well-documented (the challenge document lists them in detail and I blogged about Grimsley's unusual track record months ago), the case appeared to most observers to be pretty open and shut.  

What's at issue here is the "Radney Rule: candidates should not be allowed to run on the Democratic ticket if they "did not support the nominees of the Democratic Party in all Special or General Elections during the past four years.”

Therefore, the main issue during the challenge hearing was Grimsley's donation 2006 of $500 to Republican candidate for Treasurer, Beth Chapman when she was running against Democratic incumbent Treasurer, Nancy Worley.  

During the hearing, Grimsley tried to explain that away, calling the money "a gift" given to a friend who shared his love of gospel music. If that's all it takes to get Grimsley to part with cash, I'm willing to learn to love gospel music.

As the Political Parlor reported:

"On cross examination by Pam Miles' attorney, Grimsley contradicted himself by stating that his 'gift' was in fact a political contribution to Chapman's campaign, placing him in specific violation of the Radney rule. Later, point by point, contribution by contribution, Grimsley admitted to all, but stated he still considered himself a Democrat while making political contributions to Beth Chapman, Roy Moore, Bob Riley, George Bush, Steve Windom, etc. and while in the service of former Lt. Gov. Steve Windom".

And I'm told by someone in quite familiar with the proceedings that when Grimsley folded under cross-examination and admitted the Chapman contribution was, in fact, a "contribution" and not a "gift," his lawyer reacted visibly with a shudder and eye roll. Attorneys hate clients who don't know when to shut up.

So we have the odd spectacle of the sub-committee – with the rules in front of them and a prospective candidate who just admitted to violating them – refusing to make a decision.

Instead, they kicked the ball off to the 33-member Executive Board. 

Learn more about how that process works on the flip.

Illinois wife-beater drops out of race

by: herding old cats

Sun Feb 07, 2010 at 21:32:21 PM CST

I just saw this at the Orange: Scott Cohen has dropped out of the Illinois Lt. Governor's race.

Apparently, the Illinois Democratic party leadership leaned on him after the details about his past domestic abuse, battery, nonpayment of child support, and many other unlovely items came to light.

Campaign Loans & Reporting Oddities: Cold Hard Cash or Funny Money?

by: countrycat

Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 12:10:00 PM CST

Alabama candidates have been donating and loaning a lot of money to their own campaigns.  In some cases, campaigns would be almost broke without candidate loans - and/or without including January 2010 receipts/expenses - on the reports.  And that raises a question:

How many (if any) of these "loans" represent actual money in campaign bank accounts and how many (if any) exist only on paper in the financial report?

It's hard to tell, but you have to wonder.

Kay Ivey is indisputably the queen of funny money campaign loans.  As Danny at the Political Parlor pointed out, she has a history of "loaning" her campaign a million or so on December 31st, reporting a huge cash on hand amount, and then "repaying" the loan a week or so later:

Kay Ivey reports $1,561,000 on hand, but she also reports that she loaned herself $1,500,000 on New Year’s Eve. This is a regular trick she does. The New Year’s Eve loan shows up on the annual report for the year, but she repays the money almost immediately after the New Year so that the money is not really in her campaign account but a few days – long enough to inflate her year-end balance.

You can see an example here in this report for 2008 [.pdf]. On January 2, 2008, she pays back a $1 million loan that she made a few days before at the end of 2007. You can see on the same form that she loans herself a million dollars again on December 31, 2008. Three days later, on January 2, 2009, she repays $975,000 [.pdf] but in the meantime reports a 2008 ending balance of $1,003,137.54.

This is accounting worthy of the City of Birmingham, with its conflicting claims of a budget deficit or surplus.

With this kind of accounting method, is it any wonder that Cowgirl Kay almost managed to bankrupt the Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program?

View her whole report. With only $87,000 in contributions during 2009, Ivey has been loaning her campaign enough money to keep operating - to the tune of between $30,000 and $50,000 per month.

Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks also raised eyebrows with his report of a $500,000 personal loan to his campaign on 1/8/2010.  Now, according to campaign finance rules, the report was to have stopped at December 31, 2009, but Sparks included a number of contributions made in January of this year.

More about that on the flip - along with info about his January 11, 2010 contribution haul totaling $249,050.

Challenge Hearing For Charley Grimsley Tomorrow in Montgomery

by: countrycat

Thu Feb 04, 2010 at 07:15:46 AM CST

The AP and others (including Danny at the Political Parlor) have picked up the story we posted on Sunday about the challenge to maybe-Democrat Charley Grimsley's candidacy for Treasurer.

We've uploaded the challenge document (PDF) and it's available for your review. I strongly recommend looking it over!  NOTE:  Soapblox (our blog software) is acting ugly today.  If the above link doesn't work, here's  the challenge document is as Google Docs too.

Based on the Alabama Democratic Party bylaws, this appears to be an open and shut case, but Grimsley has already complained that it's "backroom politics."

No. It's following the party bylaws - something that both the Democrats and Republicans do in Alabama.  For instance, in 2006, the GOP disqualified two candidates because of their previous support for Democrats.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the Alabama Democratic Party follows its own rules as well.

Charley Grimsley's Candidacy Challenged For Alabama State Treasurer

by: countrycat

Sun Jan 31, 2010 at 15:53:45 PM CST

A subcommittee of the Alabama Democratic Party's State Democratic Executive Committee (SDEC) will meet Friday February 5th at 9:30 am to review a "Motion to Disqualify" Charley Grimsley's candidacy for State Treasurer. The challenge was entered by a member of the SDEC and cites Grimsley's "significant, long standing support of numerous federal and Alabama Republican candidates and Republican interest groups..."

That last part won't surprise you if you recall a previous LIA diary about Charley Grimsley.  He's an unusual political animal who previously served as chief of staff to former Republican Lt. Governor Steve Windom and was also a prominent Roy Moore suporter.  

As we noted then:

What do you get when you cross a donkey with an elephant in Alabama?

It appears that you get a well-connected pol like Democratic candidate for Treasurer, Charley Grimsley, a guy adept at playing both sides of the political game.  He's boasted about his friendship with Lt. Governor Folsom while donating $5,000 to Roy Moore in 2006.  He contributed $2,000 to George W. Bush in 2004 (the day before the election) and $2,300 to Barack Obama last October. 

Grimsley was also quite generous to at least one Republican 527 organization, the "PFA Voter Fund," which described itself as:

Progress for America Voter Fund (“PFA-VF”) is a conservative issue advocacy organization dedicated to keeping the issue record straight on the campaign trail and serving as a “Political Truth Squad”.

PFA-VF is currently producing issue advocacy TV ads on President Bush’s plan to revitalize the American economy and wage a world wide war on terror.

Future PFA-VF television ads will expose John Kerry's record as the most liberal member of the United States Senate — even more liberal than Teddy Kennedy or Hillary Clinton!

Contribute to our cause to bolster support for conservative policies in the media and see your donation in action when we place our ads on television in your state.

More information and selected text from the challenge document is on the flip.  Along with a short video of Charley Grimsley really "helping out"  Steve Windom on the floor of the Alabama Senate.

yes, it IS what you think it is! 

ALFA's Farm-PAC Endorsements Interesting For What They Leave Out

by: countrycat

Thu Jan 28, 2010 at 14:17:23 PM CST

The Alabama Farmers' Federation PAC (Farm-PAC) announced its primary endorsements today.  The list is most interesting for the races with no endorsements:

5th Congressional District - Parker Griffith gets ignored again!

Alabama's Governor's race - no endorsement at all of any Democrat or Republican.

Now, this last one has to be a kick in the teeth to Ron Sparks.  From what I've seen, he's been so close to ALFA's leadership that when they sneeze, he's the one holding the tissue.  It's really shocking that they declined to endorse not just Sparks, but anybody for governor.

If this means there's been a split or disagreement between Sparks and ALFA, I think that's a great thing.  This is not a progressive organization by any stretch of the imagination.

It was a big proponent of the misleadingly-labeled Alabama Farm Preservation Act, which was really a corporate hog farm protection bill.  And ALFA has been a strong opponent of tax reform and Constitution reform, preferring Alabama's current system that favors large property owners and out of state timber companies at the expense of everyone else.

"I think ALFA in particular is trying to cast constitutional reform as nothing more than a tax-raising measure," said Mary Weidler, a policy analyst with the low-income advocacy group Alabama Arise. 

If Sparks doesn't have to worry about placating ALFA, he has some running room to take more progressive stands on taxes, Constitutional Reform, and environmental protection.

On the flip is ALFA's full endorsement list.  btw... they're endorsing Troy King for Attorney General, so I guess actual qualifications for the job aren't an issue for ALFA.

Alabama Senate District 33 Primary Will Be Interesting

by: countrycat

Fri Jan 22, 2010 at 13:15:00 PM CST

Alabama State Senator Vivian Figures has aquired a primary opponent in her re-election campaign.  Former Mobile County Circuit Judge, Herman Thomas, has entered the race.

Senator Figures is a familiar face to most Alabama Democrats.  After her husband, Michael Figures, died in 1996, she ran for his seat and won.  She's represented the district ever since and also was the Democratic nominee against Republican Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III in 2008.

Judge Thomas also has an interesting history.  In October, he was found not-guilty on all charges in a case that alleged he offered leniency to some defendants in return for sexual favors. Interestingly, Senator Figures testified against Judge Thomas during the trial.

That prior relationship may make this primary a lot more than just "interesting!"

According to Danny at the Political Parlor, there are a number of other people also considering this race:

According to Drago, Mobile city councilor William Carroll (D), Mobile County computer data chief Victor Crawford (D), and Baptist minister Walter Bracy (R) are also considering running for SD 33. 

I'd be interested in learning more about the dynamics of the district and this race.  Would any of our LIA folks from the Mobile area care to weigh in? 

Bradley Byrne's Bad Week Raises Questions About His Candidacy

by: countrycat

Fri Jan 08, 2010 at 15:52:39 PM CST

Former Democrat and GOP candidate for governor, Bradley Byrne, is widely considered to be the frontrunner for the nomination. (Danny at the Political Parlor says: "Favorite of the state's GOP establishment is still the one to beat.")

Yet Byrne has found himself pretty much beaten by the news cycle this week.  What's amazing is how self-inflicted the wounds are.  From PACT to the Bible, Mr. Byrne seems to be having trouble choosing a position and sticking with it.

Furthermore, he's proving to be a candidate who's not just full of what King Cockfight calls "gentle Caucasian charm," but a comparatively thinskinned one too.  You have to wonder how he'll stand up under the pressures of a hard-fought primary and/or general election.

It's been pretty amazing to watch Byrne pull off a political hat trick and alienate these three important constituencies... all in one week:

• Approximately 45,000 PACT contract holders, their families, and friends.
• The Biblical inerrancy crowd that seems to form the base of Alabama's Republican Party.
• His own hometown paper - the Mobile Press-Register.

Susan Parker Says No to AL-05 Race

by: countrycat

Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 12:05:06 PM CST

Just a day after Agriculture Commisisoner Ron Sparks passed on the AL-05 congressional race, another leading contender is also saying "thanks, but no thanks."

PSC Commissioner Susan Parker issued this statement less than an hour ago:

During the past week, I have been honored and humbled by the encouragement I have received to run for the 5th Congressional seat. However, I have decided to continue my campaign for reelection to the Public Service Commission.

I feel a strong commitment to continue the important initiatives I have begun on the Public Service Commission: working to keep utility rates low, educating consumers on how to save money by conserving energy, and working hard to stay engaged on a national and regional level to ensure Alabama’s interests are protected. 

Also, I have recently taken office as President of the Southeastern commissioners, and have been elected by my peers to become national president in 2011. These leadership roles are important to helping Alabama and other Southeastern states deal with the uncertain future of climate change legislation and energy production.

I know she enjoys her position at the PSC and understand her reluctance to take on a Congressional race this year.  If the DCCC had only taken her seriously in 2008 instead of backing Parker Griffith full force, she might well be our incumbent Congresswoman.

In politics, timing is almost everything and Parker feels that the timing isn't right for her now.

Darn.

A Parker Griffith Poll Is In The Field. Have You Been Called?

by: countrycat

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 08:26:34 AM CST

Someone in the 5th Congressional district is polling voters with a fusillade of questions about Congressman Parker Griffith - perhaps it's Griffith himself since the poll's focus is on how "independent" Griffith is.

Daddycat spent over half an hour last night in an "how do you feel about Parker Griffith" phone call.  He couldn't remember the exact wording of the questions, but could give a sense of how they were worded and what the slant of them was.

It wasn't a push poll; his description sounded to me like a more wide ranging exercise in message testing.

The takeaway?  Parker Griffith (or someone) is testing the message that he's less of a "Democrat" than he is an "Independent" and polling on whether that's a good thing.

Daddycat's response to the question of whether he'd vote for the Democrat or Republican next November was classic and made the interviewer laugh out loud:

"If the choice were between Parker and Mo Brooks, I'd go for a trick pony as a write in candidate."

More about the poll on the flip...

Brought To You By The Democratic Party

by: countrycat

Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 13:53:56 PM CST

Three cheers for Women's Suffrage, the Civil Rights Act, Marshall Plan, NASA, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act!!

All these - and MORE - were brought to you by the Democratic Party.

Want to remind yourself, family members, and the person in line behind you at the grocery store just what Democratic policies have meant and still mean to our country?  The Democratic Party is offering this t-shirt just in time for holiday shopping.  It's $20 with free shipping.

The front says in smal letters:  The Democratic Party.  The back lists these:

Women's Suffrage Act - Securities and Exchange Act - Social Security Act - Unemployment Compensation - Rural Electrification Act - Federal Home Loan Program - 40-Hour Work Week - Minimum Wage - Overtime - GI Bill - School Lunch - Marshall Plan - NATO - Peace Corps - First Manned Moon Mission - Civil Rights Act - Medicare - Medicaid - Voting Rights Act - HeadStart - Guaranteed Student Loan Program - Family & Medical Leave Act - Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY

When there's still so much work to be done, it's easy to get discouraged.  But think about how far we've come.  Life is a journey - as is the neverending fight for equality justice for all.  I'm proud to be part of a party that's leading the way - even if it veers dangerously close to the ditch and almost gets turned around entirely sometimes.

Buy it for yourself, friends, and those sweet, cuddly Republicans in your life!  Note, LIA doesn't make $$ off the purchase!  ;-)

Collegiate Voters of Alabama Launches Their Web Site

by: countrycat

Tue Dec 01, 2009 at 11:54:03 AM CST

I saw this notice on Ron Spark's Facebook feed and checked it out.  Pretty cool!

Collegiate Votes of Alabama: An Educated Voice for the Collegiate Choice

A project of both the Alabama and Auburn Student Government Associations, the group promises to be:

"... the source for all information pertaining to the Alabama 2010 state elections including: candidate profiles, breaking news, and opportunities to become involved.

[...]

It is a civil responsibility of young adults and collegiate students across the state to vote and take part in their government.  CollegiateVoters.com provides a central location to find all non-partisal, non-biased information needed to cast an educated and well-researched vote and find various ways to become involved in the process."

What a terrific idea!

The site offers feature articles about various issues, candidate information, voter registration links, and is even sponsoring an Alabama vs Auburn voter registration drive.

It looks like it's going to be a great resource for all Alabama voters.

Martha Bozeman, AL-07 Candidate, Discusses The Challenges Facing the District & the 2010 Election

by: countrycat

Sun Nov 29, 2009 at 12:31:10 PM CST

Martha Bozeman is running in the Democratic primary for the AL-07 seat being vacated by Congressman Artur Davis.

She briefly addressed the Over The Mountain Democrats at their candidate forum held last August. 

Left in Alabama will be covering this race more closely after the first of the year as the candidates begin to campaign harder, collect endorsements (Bozeman's rival, Earl Hilliard, Jr. recently received the endorsement from the Congressional Black Caucus PAC), and announce fundraising numbers.

Most of the AL-07 candidates spoke at the OTM forum, and we'll have that video up in the coming week or so as well - in alphabetical order, so don't read any endorsements into who gets profiled first or last!

Bozeman opened by complimenting both former Congressman Earl Hilliard and current Congressman Artur Davis for their work on behalf of the district, but noted  that she hoped to "take it to the next level and bring much needed action for the district."

The video and partial transcript is on the flip.

How Low Can They Go?

by: countrycat

Fri Oct 23, 2009 at 16:15:13 PM CDT

I just can't help but kvell about the latest Research 2000/Daily Kos tracking poll results:

Who has a favorable opinion of the Republican Party and GOP Congressional leadership?

Surprisingly, some can't even get a majority approval from  Republicans:

MITCH MCCONNELL

JOHN BOEHNER

Damn.  If Rep. Boehner gets any lower with Independents, they'll have to measure his popularity in imaginary numbers! (Yes, I know that's not mathematically correct, but give me some room for rhetorical flourish please!)

Meanwhile, President Obama's favorability numbers are creeping back up. Except with Republicans, of course, whose otherworldly view of reality is already well known:

BARACK OBAMA

So here's a reminder to some of our more spineless Democrats who think that there's some way possible to appease Republicans - both voters and elected officials.  GIVE IT UP!

There's nothing you can do to make health care reform palatable to the right wing because they're emotionally and politically invested in making President Obama's presidency a failure.

So quit trying!  Every time you try to meet their demands, they change the demands.  It's Lucy pulling the football away, get it?

Artur Davis: We "...Can't Change Alabama Politics Without Changing Alabama's Constitution."

by: countrycat

Tue Oct 20, 2009 at 11:27:37 AM CDT

Standing in front of Alabama Constitution Village in Huntsville yesterday, Congressman Artur Davis made a strong case for a new Alabama Constitution.

"No governor has the capacity to change Alabama without changing Alabama politics and without changing Alabama's Constitution."

Speaking as the only candidate for governor "...who supports a new Constitution and a constitutional convention to get us there," Davis gave the crowd a brief history lesson about the 1901 Constitution:

"... most importantly, it enshrines 1901 values. And what was the most important 1901 value that was enshrined? The idea that local governments and local communities could not think and act and do for themselves.

The people who framed and wrote the 1901 Constitution had a lot of theories and fears about what Alabama would become.

[...]

One prediction turned out to be dead on.  They predicted that Montgomery could always be counted on to be a check and balance against progress and innovation. The have been so right about that."

Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks responded with this statement that said, in part:

"...How many jobs will a constitutional convention create?  Will a constitutional convention keep Alabama families out of foreclosure or create new revenue streams to address massive budget shortfalls?  This is simply more smoke and mirrors from the Davis campaign.  While I recognize that the issue of constitutional reform is important, Davis is using this issue to avoid answering the tough questions.  The next governor of Alabama must have the courage and leadership to move this state forward and address the critical economic times we are facing. 

Ironically, during his speech, Davis explained how the lack of Constitution reform directly affected economic development in South Alabama when state voters voted "NO" on a local amendment that would have helped create a local economic development zone. (video is on the flip)

Sparks' release also asserted that, by supporting Constitution reform "...Artur showed voters today how out of touch he is with reality."  (What's up with the first name thing?  That's really childish.)

Davis' statements though, seemed to be completely grounded in reality.  He emphasized that those who fear a new Constitition are "...special interests with special priviliges that they have written in that document."

Maybe Congressman Davis is "out of touch with reality" because he really believes he can take on these interests and win.  But better a governor who tries and loses than one who doesn't even show up for the fight.

A Shout Out to Young Candidates - Jeremy Sherer Discusses Running for Office

by: countrycat

Thu Oct 15, 2009 at 15:30:00 PM CDT

Running for political office isn't an occupation for the faint of heart.  It takes stamina, money, time, and effort.  The time involved can hurt a career and strain personal and family relationships.

Although I guess that's obvious, I never gave it much thought until I met Alabama Treasurer candidate Jeremy Sherer at a Save Alabama PACT meeting in Huntsville.  He had taken an entire Saturday to drive up with his family and meet with parents.  Later, I noticed that every single news article about PACT parent meetings across the state always mentioned that Sherer attended the meeting.

Here's a sample of PACT meetings Sherer has attended recently:

Thursday, October 15th - Cullman County
Tuesday, October 13th - Blount/Marshall County
Monday, October 12th - Morgan/Lawrence County
Tuesday, October 6th - Lauderdale County
Thursday, October 8th - Baldwin County
Monday, September 28th - Tuscaloosa County

Add in recent Democratic party events in Cullman and Phenix City, and you have to wonder when Sherer sleeps - much less how he works full time and shares parenting duties.

So I asked him.  And his response made me appreciate fully for the first time just how much of a commitment it is to run for office - particularly a statewide office.

I can't imagine how anyone even tries it unless he/she is independently wealthy.  The thought of simultaneously fundraising, campaigning, working, and being a parent is so daunting that I'm amazed anyone accepts the challenge. 

I'm also grateful to the people who are so invested and hopeful about the future of Alabama that they're willing to try.

What Sort of Political Animal Is Charley Grimsley?

by: countrycat

Thu Oct 01, 2009 at 18:17:56 PM CDT

What do you get when you cross a donkey with an elephant in Alabama?

It appears that you get a well-connected pol like Democratic candidate for Treasurer, Charley Grimsley, a guy adept at playing both sides of the political game.  He's boasted about his friendship with Lt. Governor Folsom while donating $5,000 to Roy Moore in 2006.  He contributed $2,000 to George W. Bush in 2004 (the day before the election) and $2,300 to Barack Obama last October. 

Oh, and there's also a Karl Rove connection, slight but there nontheless.  Mr. Grimsley donated $1000 (another link says $2,000 but that info seems suspect) to the now-defunct "Progress for America Voter Fund," a 527 organization.  It's described by SourceWatch this way:

PFA was established in 2001 to support George W. Bush's "agenda for America." The PFA Voter Fund, which was set up in 2004, raised $38 million in support of Bush's 2004 election bid.

Progress for America, a "friends of the party" organization "operated by Tony Feather, the former political director of Bush-Cheney 2000 and a close friend of White House political adviser Karl Rove, is described by some Republicans as a new group dedicated to corralling outlawed party soft money," Steve Weismann, Associate Director for Policy at The Campaign Finance Institute wrote January 28, 2003.

The PFA Voter Fund described itself as:

Progress for America Voter Fund (“PFA-VF”) is a conservative issue advocacy organization dedicated to keeping the issue record straight on the campaign trail and serving as a “Political Truth Squad”.

PFA-VF is currently producing issue advocacy TV ads on President Bush’s plan to revitalize the American economy and wage a world wide war on terror.

Future PFA-VF television ads will expose John Kerry's record as the most liberal member of the United States Senate — even more liberal than Teddy Kennedy or Hillary Clinton!

Contribute to our cause to bolster support for conservative policies in the media and see your donation in action when we place our ads on television in your state.

It seems odd that a Democratic candidate for Treasurer, Charles Grimsley would be a contributor to such a group.

In October 2006, they published a brochure explaining how we were winning the war in Iraq and shut down in 2007 after the Federal Elections Commission raised questions about its political activities in 2004.

"If you don't go out and buy up all components of a name, sometimes your opponents will come in and do so," Grimsley said. "The first thing you know, there will be negative information out there on a site that has your name on it. I didn't want that to happen."

Grimsley said he lives near Sipsey River in Pickens County and he believes Moore appeals to people like his neighbors in rural areas.

Too bad Mr. Grimsley wasn't an early supporter of Kay Ivey for Governor.  I'm sure she wishes an alert supporter or campaign staffer had thought to reserve KayIvey2010.com!

More about the interesting history of Mr. Grimsley, his political posts, and contributions on the flip.

Faces of the Alabama GOP

by: countrycat

Wed Sep 23, 2009 at 07:58:09 AM CDT

The Alabama Republican party has a new Web site for the 2010 campaign.

From the home page, here are the faces of the Alabama GOP:(h/t to Danny at the Political Parlor)

And some of the "Conservative Principles" they enunciate:

I believe in equal rights, equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal responsibility for all, regardless of race, sex, age or disability.

[...]

I believe we should make a solemn commitment in this State that every child will be educated and that no child will be left behind. Every one must have a first-rate education because there are no second-rate children and no second-rate dreams.

Feel free to insert your own jokes on the flip!