Houston Commission Chair: Raids 'one of largest abuses of power ... in history of our state'

by: mediagadfly

Fri Jan 29, 2010 at 22:33:35 PM CST

Alabama Gambling Thread

by: mooncat

Wed Jan 27, 2010 at 08:19:52 AM CST

A hearing is scheduled today to discuss legal issues related to issuance of a search warrant for Country Crossing (bingo) and attempts to block execution of that warrant. 

The argument for Country Crossing seems to be that the state doesn't know how the bingo machines work so they don't have actual knowledge of legal activity on which to base a warrant.  The Gambling Task Force argument is that, “no law allows a criminal suspect to challenge (or even know about) a search warrant before it is executed” and basically, the time for Country Crossing to defend itself is after the search has been conducted and charges (if any) have been filed.

[Circuit Judge Jeffrey] Brock has ordered a hearing on Barber’s motion Wednesday at 9 a.m. If Brock rules in favor of the motion to vacate the hearing, then no further hearing will be held concerning HEDA’s motion to quash the search warrant. If he rules against Barber’s motion, then a hearing on the motion to quash will follow immediately.

In other news, it turns out that about $100,000 of the $1 million plus newly appointed Gambling Task Force head John Tyson raised to run for AG in 2006 came from gambling interest PACs -- laundered through another PAC, as is so common (and legal) in Alabama politics.

Milton McGregor, owner of VictoryLand, the state's largest casino, cited the contributions as evidence that Tyson is working to help Indian casinos. McGregor has made similar accusations against [Governor Bob] Riley and Barber.

"This is another clear example ... that Riley has selected two people, both of which are just like Riley -- they are in bed with the Indians," McGregor said. "All three of these people should resign."

In the example cited by the Press-Register, Tyson's campaign received $10,000 from Watch PAC:

Watch PAC's five contributors included the Poarch Creek Indians PAC of Atmore; the Macon County Greyhound PAC of Shorter; the Jefferson County Racing Association PAC of Montgomery; Greentrack of Eutaw and High Street PAC of Montgomery.

That undercuts McGregor's argument somewhat, since those are all Alabama pro-gambling interests.  Nevertheless, this is bound to be an interesting few days on the gambling front.  

Obama Stimulus Reduced Pain of Recession

by: mooncat

Mon Jan 25, 2010 at 09:57:08 AM CST

President Obama's stimulus package saved jobs — but the government still needs to do more to breathe life into the economy, according to USA TODAY's quarterly survey of 50 economists.

Unemployment would have hit 10.8% — higher than December's 10% rate — without Obama's $787 billion stimulus program, according to the economists' median estimate. The difference would translate into another 1.2 million lost jobs.

Bob Riley knows the Obama stimulus worked -- and he knows Alabama needs another dose of it.

I'd like to see a joint session of the Alabama Legislature, invite Alabama's entire Congressional Delegation -- Senators Shelby and Sessions, Congressment Aderholt, Bachus, Bonner, Bright, Davis, Griffith and Rogers -- and have Governor Riley and both houses of the Legislature ask each of the men who represent us in Washington to support a second stimulus, in the form of the Jobs for Main Street Act, because Alabama needs help -- look at that December 2009 unemployment data if you don't believe it.

That isn't likely to happen because Gov. Riley is "not encouraging anyone in Congress to pass the $174 billion legislation."  What an asinine position! 

The state of Alabama needs the help, the Governor is counting on getting the help, but he won't man up and ask our delegation (I know, the House already voted and all but Davis voted NO) to vote in favor of that help.  Bob Riley is depending on Democrats in Washington to save his bacon while refusing to even armtwist our own Republican Senators to help this state.  What good are they if they won't do what's best for Alabama?

Based on their actions in Washington, it looks like Rep. Davis is the only Alabama Representative who takes the unemployment situation seriously.  He not only voted in favor of the second stimulus, he introduced the Main Street Survival Act which would use leftover TARP funds to make more credit available to small and medium sized businesses.  The rest of Alabama's delegation whine about high unemployment while doing exactly nothing to improve the situation.  What a pitiful bunch!

Click the map to see a larger version -- twelve counties with over 15% unemployment!

Gov. Riley says "no you shouldn't" to spending that pads his budget

by: mediagadfly

Wed Jan 20, 2010 at 10:24:17 AM CST

He loves when there are enough Congressional Democrats to pass stimulus packages that pad his proposed budget with an additional one billion dollars in federal funds.

And yet he also loves it when it becomes one vote harder to ... pass stimulus packages that pad his proposed budget with one billion dollars in federal funds?

I guess that sums up the relationship a great number of elected Republicans have with the fruits of our labors.

Should we, or shouldn't we, Governor Riley? Because you made a lot of promises that our spending is supposed to help you keep. 

And speaking of governors - I attended an event for one of our potential Democratic candidates last night! I'll have video from Rep. Artur Davis' Montgomery headquarters opening later today.

Governor Riley and Parker Griffith Help Undermine Trust in Government

by: countrycat

Thu Jan 14, 2010 at 08:28:32 AM CST

Anyone wondering why Alabamians are so suspicious of government in general and state government in particular should find answers today as Alabama Governor Bob Riley and party-switching Congressman Parker Griffith deliver a one-two punch to the concept of political leadership and accountability.

First, we have the amazing spectacle of Governor Riley, who easily manages the neat Republican trick of holding out one hand and begging for federal government money while making a rude gesture towards DC with the other.

In his State of the State address Tuesday night, Riley said:

But we also must protect our economy by standing strong against threats to it. Threats like onerous, big-government, unfunded mandates imposed on us by Congress. I urge each one of you to use your voices, loudly and strongly, every time Congress proposes some grand scheme that ultimately places another heavy and unaffordable burden on the states.

Schemes presumably like the federal aid for the expansion of unemployment benefits that Riley refused to accept - and then ended up borrowing money to pay unemployment benefits instead.

But will Riley refuse to accept any more of this dirty federal money?  Apparently not.  His 2010 state budget depends on receipt of $1 BILLION in additional stimulus money from a bill Congress hasn't passed yet.

Riley said he feels comfortable Congress will approve the Jobs for Main Street Act, which cleared the House in December but has yet to win approval by the Senate. 

Feels comfortable?  Has he spoken to Senators Shelby and Sessions at any point during the past year? 

And surely Riley's not suggsting that the Federal Government just hand out huge checks to states with no controls on how the money is spent and no accountability.  That only happens when we're doling out cash to Blackwater and Halliburton, Governor. Get with the program, please!

The Tuscaloosa News has a delicious description of Riley's position on the money:

"...you know, that federal largesse that Republicans like Riley love to criticize as irresponsible, while desperately using it to shore up their own fiscal houses of cards..."

More about Parker Griffith on the flip.

Gov. Riley's final State of the State

by: mediagadfly

Tue Jan 12, 2010 at 19:45:26 PM CST

I am not sure how to embed video, but the full text is below the cut - I'll add a link to video when I find it. Some choice quotes from our good Governor's final State of the State address (and Lt. Governor Folsom's response) below.

Just so you know - anything in brackets is from my personal typed transcript and diverges from the official remarks.

On this year's budget:

I know you've read the same dire predictions and heard the same horror stories that I have. You've heard nothing awaits us in this session but doom and gloom. The lobbyists and the gambling interests have told you over and over that we must find new revenue, somewhere, or the sky's going to fall.

Ladies and gentlemen, that's what we in Clay County would call a [bunch of bull].

In the budget I'm sending you, General Fund agencies will receive the same amount of funding that they will be getting this year. No cuts. In fact, there is the potential for them to receive an increase of up to four percent. And in the education budget, that budget will increase funding for schools by over $400 million.

On Riley's economic recovery plan: 

The first proposal is a $1,500 tax credit to jumpstart new jobs. A proposal that an independent economist projects will create 6,000 new jobs!

This idea is becoming a national model to get people back to work. At least one other state is using our same proposal to help in its economic recovery. And the President recently announced he is proposing this idea also. If others around the country are realizing tax incentives do work to create jobs, then Alabama should be leading this effort, not falling behind.

Governor Riley took a moment to attack a Congress "we can't control" for passing big spending bills and unfunded mandates, using it as a handy segue into something we can control - gambling! Quotes:

I can't imagine anyone who thinks the best way to help our economy is to have Alabamians lose billions of dollars gambling!

(Unsurprisingly, WSFA's camera cut to Commissioner Sparks sitting in the front row.)

No, this money is taken out of that county and sent to out-of-state slot machine makers and gambling bosses. Just imagine how many billions more will be taken out of the pockets of Alabamians if you vote to make it legal. Talk about a rip off!

Now I ask you: who ultimately pays for all these [social] problems? The casino operators? Not a chance. They're making money hand over fist off this misery. It's the taxpayers who are the ultimate losers. In states with casinos, for every one dollar casinos contribute in taxes, they cost taxpayers at least three dollars in additional government services to deal with the devastation the casinos leave behind.

 If there is one person who knows the lawlessness and corruption that gambling brings, it is [fmr. Gov. John Patterson]. Listen to his warning, which was in the newspaper last week. He said: "Gambling brings the bad people to town and brings out the bad in good people. There's nothing about it that's good."

Ladies and gentlemen, heed his warning. If you vote to let this happen, you'll be swimming in a pool that has more sharks than all the oceans of the world.

Charter schools came up:

If you really do want to bring more education dollars into our state, then join me in fighting to allow public charter schools in Alabama!

This is truly one of those moments in our history that compels us to push open the door of opportunity -- for the sake of our children and our schools. Get charter schools on the floor for debate. Don't kill it in committee. Let every lawmaker have a vote -- yes or no. It will either succeed or fail. But if we don't try, then our failure is guaranteed. None of us -- no parent, no teacher, no student -- should allow failure to ever be inevitable.

And on PACT: 

I believe this state made a commitment to families who enrolled in our pre-paid tuition program.

WSFA had a few questions for Lt. Governor Folsom afterwards - there are a few more at my twitter stream, but here's my favorite exchange:

Concerned about Gov appearing dependent on more Fed funds? Folsom: Has been a res introduced in DC asking for addtl stim money and extension

Folsom: There's hope at this time that maybe DC will take action ... a lot of people are hoping we can have some addtl $ but we don't know

Curse that uncontrollable Congress and its delicious, delicious stimulus cash. What say you, friends? Be creative: Press Secretary Todd Stacy is already finding our side of the aisle lacking this evening. 

A Rocket City Full of IT Geeks, and Bob Riley Goes to Virginia for Computing Services

by: herding old cats

Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 16:16:00 PM CST

Why did Bob Riley, who pounded Don Siegelman for handing out no-bid contracts, have to go all the way to Virginia to find a company to hand $7.5 M for computer services? More people are asking, besides just dirty hippie bloggers.

Gyles Machen, a NASA retiree, is forming the Alabama Works Coalition to lean on the Legislature put a stop to this.

Bob Lowry wrote this story in the Huntsville Times:

 A consultant Wednesday identified 115 Huntsville computer software companies that he said could have done the work on a $7.5 million no-bid computer contract awarded by the state to a Virginia firm.

 I wouldn't have been surprised if he found 200 software companies in Huntsville.  You can't swing a dead rocket scientist in Huntsville without hitting an IT pro.  They come to work for NASA or the Army or one of the usual suspect contractors, get some seasoning, make contacts, get fed up and go out on thier own. And yet another three-letter company is born.  So there is clearly local talent available.

Rep. Butch Taylor, D-New Hope, said, "Our companies are smart enough to put men on the moon and help build the space station - I think they could handle this (state contract)."

"We need to keep taxpayers' money in Alabama," he said. "We're not getting any opportunities to bid on any contracts."

 And I have to think that between the Southern Company, all the banks, and the medical world that there are quite a few folks in Birmingham that know their way around a database.  For that matter, in this day and age, anyone from New Market to Atmore with the right skill set and good DSL service can do all matter of computing services from right where they are.

It seems that Mr. Machen is getting some traction:

Liberal Bloggers Go Where GOP Governors Fear to Tread

by: mooncat

Tue Jan 05, 2010 at 19:59:06 PM CST

After last month's Florida orange fiasco, Governor Bob Riley (R) is too frightened of the religious right to dare a friendly wager on the outcome of the Alabama-Texas BCS championship game.  Fear not! 

State pride lives on in the liberal blogosphere.  When our friends at Burnt Orange Report in Texas proposed a a small, friendly wager of locally produced FOOD, we at Left in Alabama were happy to accept. Your liberal bloggers here at LiA are proud to demonstrate our abiding faith that the Crimson Tide will prevail over the Longhorns Thursday evening and take their rightful place in the history books.  So get ready; we're venturing some Alabama ribs against Texas sausage in the Blogger Championship Series: Burnt Orange Report vs. Left in Alabama.

That's right.  Nothing says Alabama is number one like a couple of slabs of Dreamland's best* -- with sauce -- pledged against 10 pounds of Elgin sausage (that's a lot of sausage, particularly since 40% of us are vegetarians.)  This is a straight up, win or lose bargain.  Points are for patsies -- moral victories are just as empty on the field as they are in politics.

"But, but, ... isn't this (gasp!) GAMBLING," you say?  

Maybe so.  Strictly speaking, it might be.  But it doesn't involve slot machines and -- now y'all know I'm not eager to see a bingo hall on every block -- a small, friendly side bet expressing state pride isn't likely to damn any of our souls for eternity.  Or to attract the attention of Troy King.  Besides, since Bob Riley is too chicken to do the right thing, somebody had to publicly step up and get behind our guys.  

Bring it on, Longhorns, and may the best team win!

Roll Tide!**

* Other finalists: Belle Chevre gourmet goat cheese (Belle blogs), Alabama satsumas, Conecuh sausage and Peggy's Peanut Brittle.

** As a dyed in the wool Sooner fan, my fingers almost refused to type those words, but then again, we're talking Texas here.

Bob Riley's Arachnophobia

by: CommonSense

Thu Dec 10, 2009 at 21:39:12 PM CST

Governor Bob Riley's head appears on the body of a cartoon spider amid a web littered with dollar signs while a headline flashes "Breaking News:  Rileys (sic) gambling hypocrisy revealed!".  Welcome to the home page of Rileyswebofdeceit.com, a new website that warns of "information overload". 

The site lays out the Jack Abramoff/Michael Scanlon scam on their Indian clients, follows the money trail to Bob Riley's campaign for governor, and asks you to help fill in the blanks by contacting the site, anonymously if you prefer.  The site's author(s) also prefer anonymity but could be GOP members as there's much mention of their no tolerance when it comes to hijacking of the party for personal gain. 

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive"

Bob Riley - Getting Hit from the Left and from the Right

by: mooncat

Wed Dec 09, 2009 at 11:51:31 AM CST

These are tough times for Alabama Governor Bob Riley (Republican).  Folks from both the left and the right are pointing out he's far from a "paragon" of virtue.

From the Left, emphasis mine:

Key Democratic senators today blasted Gov. Bob Riley as a hypocrite, saying state government has issued more than $2 billion in unbid contracts while he's been governor even though he campaigned against unbid contracts in 2002.

''Now we know those were simply words, not deeds,'' state Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe.

From the Right, emphasis mine:

A Republican candidate for governor, Bill Johnson, is asking the state attorney general and the Montgomery County district attorney to investigate his former boss, Republican Gov. Bob Riley.

Johnson, at a news conference Tuesday, called for a probe of possible conflicts of interest hat involve Riley's son and son-in-law.

Poor Governor Riley, slammed by both sides for ethical lapses.  It couldn't happen to a nicer more deserving guy.

Bob Riley Flip Flops on No Bid Contracts

by: mooncat

Fri Dec 04, 2009 at 08:31:04 AM CST

We knew Bob Riley wasn't really serious about bidding all contracts back when he was signing that $13 million no-bid contract with Paragon Source, a computer services company with no business phone, no business license and no website ...  Riley and the Alabama GOP have never been serious about ethics reforms, they just want to use the reform LABEL for political gain.

Now that he's been caught on the Paragon contract our GOP governor is belatedly trying to make the paper match the practice and, predictably, blaming a staffer for the "error."

[Legal advisor Ken] Wallis said the governor never intended to ban all unbid contracts, but he did not communicate that to the administration official who sent the letter to all state agencies. He said the governor wanted more scrutiny and transparency, but not a total ban.

Bob Riley wanted to have his cake and eat it too, if you ask me.  But since he got caught, naturally someone else should take the blame.

Riley Looking Less Ethical as More Paragon Info Comes Out

by: mooncat

Wed Nov 25, 2009 at 08:00:00 AM CST

Bob Riley, champion of ethical government. 

Well, maybe not.  It's beginning to look like he's just a champion of hiding the business as usual.  First there was the $13 million no bid computer services contract to Paragon Source, a company with no phone listing, no website and no business license -- after Riley made a big deal of stopping all no-bid contracts.  Now we're hearing of a former state employee, Sandra Porter, who retired, then was brought back as a contract employee first for AUM, then for Paragon Source -- at a hefty pay increase while drawing state retirement -- and now has been hired back to work directly for the state -- again at a much larger than expected salary.

The contract wasn’t with the Finance Department but with Auburn University Montgomery, which suggests the money traveled a circuitous route for a particular reason.

Sandra Porter retired from the Finance Department on a $30,516 pension in 1998. Former Finance Director Jim Main brought her back on a $60,000 contract, apparently to work on the computer system.

After a year she went to work for Paragon Source but returned to the state payroll at $66,000 and suspended her retirement.

Her highest salary as a 24-year state employee before retiring was $34,724.

Riley's spokesman is desperately trying to deflect the double-dipping charges ...

"Actual double dipping," he said, "is when an elected official holds two or more taxpayer-funded jobs and faces potential conflicts of interests or can't devote needed time to each job. Being retired isn't a job, and merely receiving retirement benefits isn't a conflict of interest."

... with a definition that might as well be "double dipping is only when a legislator is also an educator." 

Riley and his spokesman have more to worry about than double dipping, I expect.  Who is Sandra Porter and why does she merit this kind of attention and money from the state?  Ditto for Janet Lauderdale and what exactly have they been doing to earn compensation of this magnitude.  Riley and the Finance Director (it's no longer Jim Main, he's a state judge now) need to release some details of this Paragon Source contract ... like a statement of work, list of work products, completion dates, etc.  Otherwise why should we believe it's anything but a sweetheart deal?

And did anyone else notice how quickly all the judges in Montgomery County recused themselves from the Paragon Source lawsuit?  Hot, hot, hot!  Ouch! 

Riley Funnels Pork to Cronies

by: mooncat

Fri Oct 30, 2009 at 11:43:10 AM CDT

For those who have been complaining the Alabama Democratic Party hasn't exactly been taking the fight to the GOP, here's a hopeful sign.  They sent this release out a short time ago:

Governor Bob Riley has issued an edict to university presidents to intercept pass-through funds in his vain attempt to transform himself into the “Ethics Governor”. [1]  He does this, all while he exposes his administration to the reality that they have passed-through more money than any Governor in Alabama history.

Gov. Riley shouldn’t issue this pass-through edict without stopping a suspicious $13 million no-bid contract to Paragon Source, an issue that has become a source of intense public scrutiny. [2]

He is also being hypocritical by going on the ethics offensive when Republican lobbyists, such as Toby Roth, Riley’s former Chief of Staff, are paid out of Medicaid funds. [3]

Riley cries stop pork yet his administration has given hundreds of thousands of dollars in stimulus funds (which he originally objected to) to Republican insider and former Chief Justice Drayton Nabers for “stimulus funds management”. [4]

The Governor needs to quit throwing ethic’s rocks when he lives in the ultimate ethics glass house, seeing how the Republican Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office will receive bail-out dollars, while member’s of the Governor’s family are representing that office and share in hundreds of thousands of dollars in public legal fees as a result. [5]

In each of these cases, the pass-through of federal dollars has benefited key Riley allies who have also been funders of recent Republican campaigns. [6]

“Riley rode in on a high horse touting ethics and an end to no-bid contracts, but he’s riding out the end of his term with a stampede of pass through pork which pads the pockets of his closest political cronies,” said Jim Spearman, Executive Director of the Alabama Democratic Party.

Sources (also provided by the ADP are below the fold.  They're quite right to criticize Riley on ethics.  He hasn't been nearly as squeaky clean as the image he tries to project and his ethics proposals to the Legislature have been heavy on rhetoric and window dressing and short on trying to actually get the bills passed.  Face it, the people in power now don't think the system needs to be fixed and the people who hope and want to be in power next damned sure don't want the system fixed because they plan to exploit it.  And no bid contracts?  Well his administration still awards them and the one to Paragon Source smells fishy, not least because they won't just produce the woman who runs the company and have her testify.

Riley No Paragon

by: mooncat

Thu Oct 29, 2009 at 09:16:56 AM CDT

 

A mere seven years into Bob Riley's tenure as Governor, Alabama officials are told to bid all state contracts:

A memo signed by state Purchasing Director Isaac Kervin was sent Oct. 19 with the directions from Gov. Bob Riley and Acting State Finance Director Bill Newton. It said no purchasing requests from state agencies would be processed unless a competitive bid process had been completed.

...

The memo was dated a day before the governor said he would sign the extension of a controversial no-bid computer contract with Paragon Source LLC that has no business phone listing or Web site.

[emphasis added] 

"Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work with your kids and it won't work with state agencies either.  If you're going to call yourself a leader, you damned well ought to lead by example, Mr. Governor. 

Hypocritical!

by: mooncat

Wed Oct 28, 2009 at 08:15:46 AM CDT

Bob Riley, per the Birmingham News.

Riley savaged Siegelman over no-bid contracts. It's hypocritical now for Riley to defend them in his administration.

This Paragon Source no-bid contract is in danger of tarnishing Bob Riley's legacy.  But that won't stop him from signing it anyway.  Perhaps Riley isn't the paragon of virtue some folks thought he was.

Transparency

by: mooncat

Wed Oct 21, 2009 at 08:55:40 AM CDT

Bob Riley has dropped a gift into the laps of legislative Democrats, in the form of a $13 million no bid contract to a firm that's run out of someone's home with no phone, no website and no business license.  The really good news is that Senate Democrats have finally figured out what to do with that gift -- pass some open government legislation.

Sen. Roger Bedford, D-Russellville, and Sen. Quinton Ross, D-Montgomery, representing the Senate Democratic Caucus, also called on Riley to help pass legislation to curb the practice.

"Last week, the administration made a big deal about transparency," Bedford said. "But what good does it do to have contracts with a company that has no phone, no Web site and no business license? A computer company without a Web site is like a telephone company without a telephone."

Why should a virtually invisible company get a state contract of this size?  Paragon has no visible employees, a CEO who is too "timid" to come before the review committee and isn't disclosing information about subcontractors they farm the work -- and money -- out to.

The Republican governor said he has no political connection to Paragon Source and has never received campaign contributions from it.

But one of Paragon Source's subcontractors, Phillip W. Williams, chair and CEO of Huntsville-based Value Enhanced Technology Services, donated $1,000 to Riley's campaign for governor in 2002, according to secretary of state records.

Democrats are proposing specific legislation requiring contractors to disclose subcontractor information -- making it harder to hide the use of state contracts to reward political donors or allies.  The subcontractor info would be posted on the Open Alabama website, just like the state's checkbook.  The Democratic proposal would also allow the Legislative Contract Review Committee to hold up contracts for as long as 90 days rather than the current 45.

The meek shall inherit the earth ....

by: mooncat

Sat Oct 17, 2009 at 09:33:19 AM CDT

Or at least big no-bid contracts from Bob Riley's administration. The CEO of Paragon Source, the company with virtually no physical presence but millions in state contracts, is "timid" says her lawyer.

"He stated to me to not to go hard on the lady because she was kind of timid and can't stand a lot of pressure," [state Rep. Alvin] Holmes said. "She has not appeared before the committee. How could we have badgered her when she was not there?"

Janet Lauderdale is so timid she shouldn't have to appear before the Joint Legislative Contract Oversight Committee, but she was aggressive enough to land millions in state contracts?  That just does not compute.

Psalms 37

7 Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Or money.  Peace, money, same thing. 

Riley for Prez in 2012?

by: mooncat

Sun Aug 16, 2009 at 22:33:10 PM CDT

[Bob Riley] certainly would have been a better vice presidential nominee than Sarah Palin.

But you never heard his name even mentioned as McCain pondered his choices, and I believe that is because the choice of Riley would have been a distraction as Siegelman, his attorneys and bloggers all over the country tried to tie Riley and his son into the prosecution of his prosecution.

And then there were the rumored links to Abramoff, the Mississippi Indian gambling money and a few other little things that might have scared McCain off. Hey, I think Bob Riley would be a great presidential nominee for the Republicans in 2012. The GOP obviously has to nominate a Southerner, but who will end up on top -- Riley/Palin or Palin/Riley?

Washington Times article that started the Riley rumor. Stevenson correctly notes that the Wash. Times is Moonie paper.

Sarah Palin - Will Other Lame Duck Republicans Follow Her Lead?

by: mooncat

Sun Jul 05, 2009 at 06:00:00 AM CDT

Will Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, SC Gov. Mark Sanford(R, Appalachian Trail) and other lame duck Republicans follow Sarah Palin's lead and resign now rather than stick it out until their terms are up?  Sanford obviously has better things to do than run a state.  Riley's another lame duck and, according to the Palin Doctrine, so little can be accomplished in that sad state that hanging on is just a waste of time and effort. 

And so as I thought about this announcement that I wouldn’t run for re-election and what it means for Alaska, I thought about how much fun some governors have as lame ducks . . .  travel around the state, to the Lower 48 (maybe), overseas on international trade – as so many politicians do. And then I thought – that’s what’s wrong – many just accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and “milk it”. I’m not putting Alaska through that – I promised efficiencies and effectiveness! ? That’s not how I am wired. I am not wired to operate under the same old “politics as usual.” I promised that four years ago – and I meant it.

Unlike Sarah, Bob Riley is well and truly a lame duck since Alabama law prohibits him from running again -- say wasn't he in Paris just a few days ago?  Perhaps it was some of that fun, lame duck overseas travel Sarah condemns. 

Sarah Palin stated justification for quitting her job midterm is incomprehensible.  And there is no way quitting helps her run for office in 2012.  She posted a rambling, 2500 word statement on the Alaska Governor's office website offering up "the politics of personal destruction," "only dead fish go with the flow"  and lame duckitude as excuses for quitting, concluding with "in the words of General MacArthur said, “We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.” "

That last is even wackier than normal since it was (and usually is) said as an attempt to gloss over a failure.  And it was Gen. O.P. Smith, not MacArthur who said it anyway.  The whole statement is classic Sarah Palin: clear, coherent and accurate. 

I predict Palin will end up succeeding Bill O'Reilly at FAUX News.  She's easier on the eyes and ethics problems won't matter there.  And Bob Riley will 'accept that lame duck status, hit the road, draw the paycheck, and “milk it”.'

Bob Riley's Office Should Apologize

by: mooncat

Fri May 29, 2009 at 16:49:06 PM CDT

Governor Riley's office, and especially spokesman Jeff Emerson, should issue an immediate apology to Rep. Artur Davis (D, AL-07) and the people of the 7th Congressional District.

Davis sent a respectful, serious letter (see BenGoshi's post just below and full text below the fold) to Gov. Riley about concerns of his constituents that Stimulus funds are not reaching "the most underserved areas in Alabama" -- many of which are in Davis' district -- and that the decision making process to award Stimulus contracts is not clear.  The letter also invited the Governor to send representatives from ADECA and ALDOT to a June 22 meeting of 7th District community leaders.

The question over transparency in spending federal stimulus money is not unique to the 7th District and it's no secret some of our hardest-hit counties are being left out. Davis certainly has the right and obligation to forward concerns of his constituents to the Governor.  Did he get a serious reply from Bob Riley?  No, he did not.  He got this snide, condescending, flippant remark delivered through Riley's spokesman:

"If the congressman believes stimulus money is not flowing to people quickly enough, he needs to scoot on down to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and complain about that," said Riley spokesman Jeff Emerson.

The Governor of Alabama dismissed the concerns of a US Congressman and his constituents as though they were some kind of joke.  To his credit, Davis' office is sticking to the high ground with this response:

Unfortunately, the Riley administration has decided to turn a request for help into a partisan campaign offensive and a personal attack.  Regretfully, instead of accepting Congressman Davis’ invitation to meet with community leaders and elected officials in the 7th District to hear firsthand their concerns about the stimulus, the governor’s office has resorted to political attacks.  

...

Once again, the congressman renews his invitation to ADECA and the Alabama Department of Transportation to come to Selma, Alabama on Monday, June 22nd to experience for themselves the frustrations that the congressman heard personally as recently as this morning in Wilcox County, where he met with county commissioners regarding their deep concerns about Alabama’s execution of the stimulus package. 

The Governor and his spokesman owe Davis and his constituents an immediate and sincere apology.  Furthermore, the Governor should make sure the appropriate ADECA and ALDOT officials attend the June 22 meeting in Selma -- in fact, Governor Riley ought to be at that meeting himself to make it clear to state employees that concerns over the Stimulus money must be taken seriously.