(Say it aint so, Bud! What happened? - promoted by countrycat)
Bud Cramer, our beloved Alabama Blue Dog, who served Alabama's 5th Congressional Seat for 18 years, weighed in on the recent 5th Congressional District seat in an interview with the Huntsville Times.
"I actually was surprised," Cramer said Friday. "I've been watching the trends around the country. ... There's a lot of frustration and anger and hostility toward the agenda in Washington and who's after what. And I think our community is no different than any other community; they want to see our government work differently. But I thought the incumbent would do better than he did."
Really, Bud? You didn't think the Democratic base in Alabama has come a long way, Bud, and we not only expect more, but demand more progressiveness and moderateness for all our hard earned contributions and walking door to door?
The Blue Dogs in Alabama time's up. We've been telling you, warning you and so you were still surprised that Parker Griffith didn't do any better? Even after he kept all that money from his Democratic contributitors only to turn Red? Really, Bud?
Like NouveauRepublian sans committee assignments Parker Griffith ...
If you're a practical, smart community like Huntsville, you hire a more effective Congressman. Even if you can't get rid of the dud right away.
"This is what you hire someone like Bud Cramer for. He knows the community, he knows the NASA community, he knows who to go to," Battle said.
Actually, they didn't hire someone like Bud Cramer, Huntsville hired Bud Cramer to advocate for them in the NASA budget process. Because it was obvious Griffith's advocacy is about as effective as a wood burning rocket.
"We've got plenty of avenues, we've just got to coordinate all of this and make sure we aggressively make our rounds and sound off as to what's at stake here," Cramer said.
Doesn't he sound like a Congressman? Coordinating, making the rounds ...
His focus is connecting with our many friends across the country to show others we need to preserve and advance programs at Marshall.
"On the senate side, the house side, in the Congress. We've got friends from all over the country. Some of them are from space center districts, some are very interested in this country's commitment to science and engineering and youth education, some are interested in our competitive abilities."
Looks like a lot of folks are nostalgic for the good old days when Bud Cramer represented North Alabama. It's a good thing Huntsville can afford to hire a "supplemental Congressman" now that Griffith has turned out to be such a disaster.
There's been talk about this for a week or so, but today the Blue Dog Coalition officially announced they are backing Parker Griffith for Congress in Alabama's 5th District.
In a conference call, U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer - the former district attorney from Huntsville who is retiring after serving nine terms in Congress - said Griffith had to undergo a "dynamic, selective" interview process to win the endorsement.Griffith, a retired oncologist, said he was grateful for the endorsement.
"I know your shoes are big," Griffith said to Cramer, "as I'm told all over the district when out campaigning."
Cramer helped co-found the Blue Dog Coalition back in 1994. Here's what the Wikipedia says about the Blue Dogs:
The Blue Dog Coalition was formed in 1994 during the 104th Congress to give more conservative members from the Democratic party a unified voice. The Blue Dogs are viewed by some as a continuation of the socially conservative wing of the Democratic party prominent during the presidencies of Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson.[citation needed] However, the only stated policy position of the Blue Dogs is fiscal conservatism, and many of the members of the coalition hold liberal views on social issues such as abortion, stem-cell research, or gay rights.
The endorsement comes with a $5000 contribution to Griffith's campaign and possibly quite a bit more if the 48 individual Blue Dogs open their checkbooks for him. It also sends a message that he'll have allies once he's elected -- thus reassuring supporters that he will be an effective Representative for North Alabama.
Update: The Plainsman Politico has a bit more on this, plus a great blue dog graphic.
Just listen to this (or read the script below the fold):
And remember, that once they have captured you on tape (or on line), your words are available to anyone who has the right connections. Such as health insurers...
The ad is from They Work for Us, an organization sponsored by Moveon and SEIU designed to hold representatives accountable to their constituents. So, if you value your privacy, call Bud Cramer at 256 551-0190 and ask him to protect our privacy and punish companies who spy on Americans.
The FISA bill, with immunity (or amnesty as I like to call it) for big telecom companies is not dead yet. Alabama's own Bud Cramer is one of the Blue Dogs who may be considering caving in on the immunity provision, so call or email and encourage him to stand strong for the rule of law. If AT&T and the others illegally spied on American citizens, those citizens should have recourse in a court of law. Call Representative Cramer at 202-225-4801 and ask him to oppose any FISA compromise that includes telecom immunity.
Women's Voices Women Vote is still sending confusing mailings into primary states. Apparently they adhere to the belief that "any publicity is good publicity" because they seem to be going out of their way to keep generating bad publicity.
The House Republicans have taken leave of their senses -- and I mean totally lost it. From Dana Milbank in the Washington Post:
It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.
On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.
"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.
Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.
It has long been the custom to compare a popular piece of legislation to motherhood and apple pie. Evidently, that is no longer the standard. Worse, Republicans are now confronted with a John Kerry-esque predicament: They actually voted for motherhood before they voted against it.
Republicans, unhappy with the Democratic majority, have been using such procedural tactics as this all week to bring the House to a standstill, but the assault on mothers may have gone too far. House Minority Leader John Boehner, asked yesterday to explain why he and 177 of his colleagues switched their votes, answered: "Oh, we just wanted to make sure that everyone was on record in support of Mother's Day."
By voting against it?
And how did Alabama's "family values" Republican Congressmen vote? NO. Every single one of them -- Robert Aderholt, Spencer Bachus, Jo Bonner, Terry Everett and Mike Rogers -- voted "NO." Humbug on Mother's Day, from the GOP to you.
Let's be absolutely clear, they all initially voted in favor of the Motherhood resolution, but immediately turned around and voted to undo the original vote. That manuever is known as a "flip-flop" when a Democrat does it. It is usually completely ignored when Republicans do it. Partisan feeling is high in Congress these days but something is seriously wrong with Republican priorities when they play political games with a resolution commending mothers and Mother's Day. Will it be baseball and apple pie next?
Happy Mother's Day and many thanks to all the mothers and grandmothers out there from the folks at Left in Alabama and from Congressmen Bud Cramer and Artur Davis who are apparently the only members of Alabama's Congressional delegation with the good sense to appreciate Motherhood.
A small group of fiscally conservative Blue Dog Democrats is threatening to block the emergency war spending bill over a program for veterans’ benefits not offset with tax hikes or spending cuts.
Because of that problem, and the efforts by House Republicans to stall floor action with procedural motions, the vote on the carefully crafted supplemental measure could be delayed until Friday or next week.
... Some members are willing to block the bill because “pay-as-you-go” budgetary rules — offsetting new spending with spending cuts or increased taxes — have been ignored one too many times. Others, like Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), don’t want to oppose benefits for veterans.
“It’s a cost of the war,” Barrow said.
Because of that division, there is no formal Blue Dog position on the bill. But blocking the bill wouldn’t require all 47 Blue Dogs; it takes only 15.
Those "concerned" Blue Dogs have no problem appropriating billions to continue the war -- and that money is not pay as you go, it's deeper in debt as you go -- but they balk at including educational benefits for veterans in the cost of the Iraq war. How wrongheaded can they get? Every Blue Dog who votes to kill the New GI Bill this session ought to face a primary challenge, preferably by a returning veteran.
Maura Satchell, a Director of Veterans and Military Families for Progress and a mother of 2 Iraq War veterans said “It’s outrageous any members of Congress are not supporting this measure. Our sons, our daughters sign up to serve their country based on the promise of a GI Bill-funded college education after serving honorably, only to find it covers but a small portion of the inflated cost of a college education these days. I’m all for fiscal restraint of government but let’s start with the cash cows really draining our tax dollars such as no-bid contracts and billions of dollars lost in Iraq, not penalize those we owe such a tremendous debt of gratitude to! After all, this measure is equal to what, the cost of a week of war in Iraq?”
Note:Bud Cramer (D, AL-05) and Artur Davis (D, AL-07) are both listed as co-sponsors of the New GI Bill so presumably both will support it on the upcoming procedural vote. The rest of Alabama's Congressional Delegation, those with an "R" behind their names, will certainly vote their party's line against the New GI Bill. Way to support the troops, Goopers!
They both need to decide what to do with a bunch of money. This is a happy change from the usual problem faced by members of Congress -- how to raise money for a campaign every 2 years. With $1.6 million in the kitty, Bud Cramer has the bigger job, but Terry Everett's $800,000 is nothing to sneeze at and is far more than retiring Alabama politicians have had in the past.
Election law prohibits them from using the money for themselves, as in houses, cars or vacations, but they can spend it on just about anything else including political contributions. My bet is that both of these Congressmen will make hefty contributions to a candidate running in their district and will give generously to some favored organizations but won't spend it all just yet.
The money would also come in handy if either of them decided to become a lobbyist post-Congress:
An increasingly common maneuver for retiring members, especially those who go into the lobbying business, is to keep it active, raising and spending money. The tactic, however, has drawn criticism from government watchdog groups that argue a congressman-turned-lobbyist gets a personal benefit by using the money to curry favor with his former colleagues on behalf of his clients.
Spending leftover campaign cash to curry favor as a lobbyist is another one of those legal but unsavory deals.
Wayne Parker is an insurance executive running as a Republican for the Congressional seat now held by Bud Cramer, who is retiring. Parker ran against Cramer back in 1994 -- an extremely close race -- and again in 1996 when he lost by a wide margin. That was his last foray into elective politics, but now he's back, apparently enticed by the opportunity of running for an open seat. Which is exactly why I say that Wayne Parker is no Jackie Speier.
Jackie Speier just won a special election in California to succeed the late Rep. Tom Lantos. This was not Speier's first time to run for Congress -- that came in 1979. Here's some history:
In 1978, Speier was an aide to Rep. Leo Ryan and accompanied him on a mission to Guyana. The purpose was to investigate claims that Peoples Temple leader Jim Jones was holding followers against their will at the California-based group's Jonestown compound in the South American country.
An ambush at the Jonestown airstrip left Ryan and four others dead and Speier severely wounded. Jones and his followers then committed mass murder-suicide, drinking cyanide-poisoned punch. More than 900 people died, including hundreds of children.
Speier lost a special election to fill Ryan's seat in 1979 but went on to represent the area as a San Mateo County supervisor and in the state Assembly and Senate. In 2006, she narrowly lost a campaign for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.
So Jackie Speier was a Congressional aide who ran for Congress back in 1979, after her boss was killed in Guyana. Although she wasn't successful that time, she was serious enough about a career in public service to get herself elected to the county Board of Supervisors and eventually to the State Assembly and Senate. When the opportunity came to run for Congress again, Jackie Speier had government experience, she was well known in her district, she had a record of achievement and she won handily with 78% of the vote.
That's the way to do it if you're genuinely interested in being a public servant. Wayne Parker, on the other hand, lost to Cramer in 1996 and did not subsequently run for city council, county commissioner, the state legislature or even for Congress again. He essentially dropped out of public life for almost 12 years and surfaced again when Cramer's retirement offered another, and some would argue better, chance to run for Congress.
What has Parker done to prepare himself to represent North Alabama since he lost the election in 1996? What does he have going for him now that he didn't have in 1996? He's 12 years older, he's now an insurance executive and his father-in-law is no longer a powerful member of Congress. Does any of that make him a more attractive candidate than he was in 1996?
I don't think so. If his goal had been to represent the people of North Alabama, he would have at least looked for a way to do that in the period from November 1996 to March 2008. Since he didn't, it appears his real goal is just to become a member of Congress, which is a pretty shallow basis for winning election.
By the way, Jackie Speier's career in Congress is off to a good start -- polite, gracious Republicans (not!) in the House booed her for daring to criticize Bush's Iraq policy. Some even walked out of the chamber. Rep. Speier wasn't too upset:
“I didn’t expect that sort of reaction, but I’m not a newbie here,” Speier, a congressional staffer in the 1970s, said in an interview after the swearing-in. “There’s a lot of polarization. I heard the boos. I think it’s counter-productive to getting things done.”
Looks like Jackie Speier will be caucusing with the adults in the House.
Fifth District Congressional candidate Dr. David Maker addressed the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee Thursday evening. Dr. Maker is an optical physicist who has lived in Huntsville since 1995 and is familiar with the space and missile defense industry from the inside. He has not run for elected office before and, although giving physics lectures is his hobby, this was his first campaign speech.
"I am running for Congress on the issues of the economy and environmentalism and as best I can on trying to follow in the footsteps of Bud Cramer, who served the citizens of the Fifth District very well. ... I want to point out in that context that none of the candidates for this position has been a Congressman either and so we all lack Washington, D.C. contacts."
His platform includes:
Increase mileage standards and encourage people to use higher mileage vehicles. We could give tax breaks to SUV owners for trading them in on lower mileage cars and take away the law that says SUVs are the same as farm trucks in terms of mileage standards.
Go "green" as much as possible. 100 square feet of photovoltaics on every roof is my motto. Save green urban spaces, build green buildings (high R insulation, etc.). Build solar electric cars whose batteries recharge in your local outdoor parking lot while you are at work.
On the war: I opposed the 2003 intervention in Iraq but not the earlier intervention in Afghanistan since it harbored the 911 terrorists. Reducing our dependency on petroleum from countries that finance terrorism is an important part of the long term solution to the problem.
Maker understands the link between North Alabama's prosperity and the defense and space industry centered on Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal. He fielded a question on the cost of going "green" by observing that developing a domestic industry capable of supplying 100 square feet of photovoltaics for every roof in America would not only create American jobs and reduce our dependence on petroleum from foreign countries, it would also make the US a world leader in solar cell technology.
Dr. Maker emphasized that he opposed the Iraq war from the beginning but favored the American intervention in Afghanistan to destroy the terrorist training camps and other terrorist infrastructure there.
Dr. David Maker will be the guest speaker at the Madison County Democratic Executive Committee meeting tonight at 7 pm. Maker is one of two Democrats seeking the 5th Congressional District nomination since incumbent Bud Cramer announced he would be retiring after this term.
Madison County has a population of over 300,000 -- a sizeable chunk of the 635,000 folks who live in the 5th district -- so all the AL-05 candidates will be reaching out to voters and opinion makers here.
Dr. Maker is an optical physicist with Photon Research Associates in Huntsville who has lived in Huntsville since 1995. He says he is running on a platform of environmental responsibility.
"I want to run as an environmentalist," Maker, 56, said Wednesday, mentioning improved insulation, more use of solar power, improved gas mileage standards and reduced dependence on foreign oil.
What do you think about a military draft? Tell Gene'O.
Memo to John Yoo: Don't bring up the Nazis when defending your torture memos. If folks didn't think of it on their own, why give them ideas?
Sure, it's the homeowners fault for buying such a big house -- "... mortgage brokers -- who advertise that they will find consumers the best deal -- actually cause subprime borrowers to end up paying thousands of dollars more for loans."
Alabama income disparity second highest in the nation. "The 20 percent of families at the top of the state's income scale have average incomes 8.5 times higher than those in the lowest 20 percent."
John McCain is coming back to hit the Alabama money machine again. Do you reckon he's going after the bottom 20 percent? Guess not.
Universal health care costs too much? There's a cost for not having it too. "Some 600 working-age Alabamians died in 2006 because they lacked health insurance." Believe me, not all those folks were in the bottom 20% -- they just couldn't afford or couldn't get health insurance.
Obama Everywhere. Carville said "Pennsylvania is Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between." -- Can't swear to that but I do like their music.
Bud Cramer, who is retiring from the U.S. Congress has endorsed Parker Griffith in the race for his House seat.
This is obviously good news for Parker Griffith, who was already looking like a strong contender.
But what I really liked to see in this story was Parker's response:
I had a lot of questions and concerns but I am committed to the race, so I'm glad he's been by my side and introduced me to people I need to know. It's a Democratically controlled Congress so we need a Democrat to be in that position.
Keep that last line in mind next time some 5th district wingnut trots out the "It's a conservative district"!
AL-05, conservative or liberal, is a district that has built its prosperity on a foundation of federal government projects. Starting with the TVA, North Alabama has been a demonstration project for the positive effects of competent, active government. That is why now, especially now, AL-05 voters need to be sure the seat stays with the Democratic majority.
As they say at Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center: "You gotta vote for the jobs!"
Parker Griffith is still the only one of only 2 Democrats in the Congressional race in the 5th District of Alabama, and it looks more and more like it may stay that way. [Update: See Go Blue's comment on Dr. David Maker who has also qualified to run as a Democrat for this seat.] State Representatives Tammy Irons and John Robinson say they have decided not to pursue the seat currently held by Bud Cramer.
"It's been a difficult decision," Irons said. "The numbers look good; the money looks good; the support looks good, but I've decided against it and will concentrate on helping my district in the state House. It's a hard decision."
and
"After careful consideration, I decided to remain in the (state) House," said Robinson, a Democrat.
On the Republican side, the situation is what you might call fluid. Fair taxer Ray McKee was already in against Cramer, insurance agent (and two time loser to Cramer) Wayne Parker will officially be in tomorrow, Sen. Tom Butler has declined to run as a Republican and I haven't heard anything else about the car dealer who was interested. You can tell no one in that (prospective) field is a powerhouse, because the GOP had some newcomers this week:
Those declaring their candidacy this week include Republican George Barry, a manufacturing supply salesman from Madison; Republican Wayne Parker, who came within 2,000 votes of defeating Cramer in 1996; and Republican Mark Huff, who plays double bass in the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra.
Apparently Barry thinks we need to cut taxes on business. The only other information given about Huff is that he also teaches violin -- which would get him my vote over the anti-taxer. Do Republicans have any issue besides taxes these days?
It's only been two weeks since North Alabama Rep. Bud Cramer announced he would not seek re-election in the 5th Congressional District. Candidate qualifying for the race ends just one week from now, on April 4th. So, what's the status of this race?
The short version:
A retired doctor/businessman, currently in the State Senate, is definitely running on the Democratic ticket. Two serving state representatives may still get in the race.
On the Republican side we have the Fair Tax sacrificial candidate who had already filed against Bud Cramer, a possible candidate in an insurance agent who lost twice to Cramer in 1994 and 1996 and another possible in a car dealer who has no political experience. The Republicans' best hope is for a 4 term Democratic State Senator, currently feuding with his fellow Democrats, to switch parties and run as a Nouveau Republican.
Remember, this is a district that is supposed to be one of the GOP's best pickup opportunities this year.
Seriously, why is Bud Cramer declining to seek re-election this year?
He had no viable opponent.
He is a member of the House Appropriations Committee, the most powerful committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he has finally reached after nearly 18 years. He is a member of the House Appropriations subcommitees on Defense: Transportation, HUD, and related Agencies (that would include NASA); and Financial Services and General Government (sounds pretty important these days!). He is also a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and is chair of the subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He is also a member of the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence.
Based on the 2006 elections and on the special elections since then going to Democrats, you would think that Bud Cramer would be sitting in the catbird seat as one of the longest-lived Democrats in the U.S. House
State Senator Parker Griffith announced his candidacy for the 5th district seat that will be vacated by Rep. Bud Cramer's retirement. Griffith is so eager to run he actually started his press conference early -- I was there at 9:55 for a 10 am announcement and only managed to catch part of his statement.
In a nod to the retiring incumbent, Griffith said "Bud Cramer's shoes are very difficult to fill ... I so appreciate his encouragement." He also praised Cramer's independence in Washington and said he too would be an "independent voice who will stand up for our values in Washington."
When asked about his legislative priorities, Sen. Griffith said he is interested in healthcare (he is a retired oncologist) -- particularly in assuring "universal access" to health care -- and in making sure North Alabama has the roads and infrastructure needed to cope with expected growth in this area. He said he would love to be on the Appropriations or Intelligence committees, but was particularly interested in the Transportation committee. This is not surprising since North Alabama has experienced steady growth for more than 20 years and that trend is expected to continue as several thousand jobs relocate here as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure effort. Roads and transportation are definitely high priorities for local governments and voters in this area.
Parker Griffith is in his first term in the Alabama Senate, representing the 7th district (see map) which is wholly contained within the 5th CD. A retired physician and businessman, Griffith provided significant self-funding in an expensive primary contest against Phil Dotts (who had a surprising no. of PAC contributions) in 2006. According to records available from the Alabama Secretary of State, Griffith and Dotts spent over $300,000 each on that primary -- a lot of money by local standards -- which Griffith won handily. He then went on to win the general election without much trouble.
With Susan Parker definitely out of the AL-05 race, Griffith's entry is likely to have a dampening effect on the remaining AL-05 hopefuls.
A reliable source tells me that Susan Parker has decided not to run for Bud Cramer's Congressional seat. For a number of reasons this was just not a good time for her to make the run.
She was a natural for the job, but 3 weeks is pretty short notice to uproot yourself and your family. File this under Missed Opportunities.
Update:Here's a link to the story in the print media.
(A TIMELY AND RELEVANT PIECE FROM SPRING, 2008 ... - promoted by mooncat)
Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District consists of the northernmost 6 ½ counties of the state: Colbert, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limeston, Madison and part of Morgan.
SUSAN PARKER should be the Democratic candidate for the Congressional Fifth District for a lot of reasons:
SUSAN PARKER KNOWS ALL ABOUT NORTH ALABAMA’S PEOPLE, NEEDS, POLITICIANS AND ISSUES.
Susan was born the 4th child of a hard-working North Alabama farm family who grew up picking cotton and hauling hay.
She received her undergraduate degrees from colleges in the Fifth District.
She got her M.A. from the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and her Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
She has lived all of her 52 years in the Fifth District, except for being in Montgomery while serving in office.
As Chief Development Officer at Athens State University (in the Fifth District), Susan met and solicited support from the major donors, industries and institutions in the District, the State, and surrounding areas in the Southeast.
Susan has been married for 27 years to Paul Parker, a Fifth District native and 4-term Alabama state legislator (16 years) who retired with a sterling reputation.
SUSAN PARKER IS A PROVEN PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT.
In her unsuccessful 2002 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Jeff Sessions, Susan ran on a progressive platform: “If I am elected to the United States Senate, I won't follow Jeff Sessions' example and put the insurance companies, drug companies, and the oil and gas industries ahead of our citizens. I will vote to lower taxes, not on corporations, but on working people. And in the greatest country in the world, if you want to go to college and can make the grade, you should be able to. If I’m honored with your vote, I’ll put the needs of Alabama’s people first.”
During her term as State Auditor (1998-2002), Susan revamped a virtually defunct agency and reinstated regular audits and accountability of state agencies and programs.
During her current term on the Alabama Public Service Commission, Susan has focused on promoting energy efficiency and of renewal energy sources, utility bill relief for the poor and elderly and progressive environmental policies.
Susan has held several Democratic Party offices at the local and state levels, and was sent as a delegate to the 2000 and 2004 Democratic National Conventions.
Susan is the current president of the Alabama Federation of Democratic Women.
ALABAMA KNOWS AND RESPECTS SUSAN PARKER, HER INTELLECT, HER DRIVE, HER ABILITY AND HER RECORD OF SERVICE TO THE STATE.
For years, Susan has been entrusted by her North Alabama communities with leadership positions and honors too lengthy to list. She’s even taught Sunday School.
In her 2002 US Senate Race, Susan was endorsed over incumbent Sessions by the State’s most important newspapers – among them, the Montgomery Advertiser, the Birmingham Post Herald, the Anniston Star, the Tuscaloosa News, the Decatur Daily, and the Florence Times Daily.
Susan has been mentioned favorably as a candidate for Governor of Alabama in 2010, and has one of the highest name recognition positions in the state.
Alabamians know that Susan works hard and takes her public positions seriously. They would trust her to read and understand proposed legislation and use her incredible energy to represent their interests.
SUSAN PARKER IS POISED LIKE NO OTHER DEMOCRAT TO WIN THE DISTRICT FIVE CONGRESSIONAL SEAT.
Susan knows the whole range of North Alabama issues – from farmers to energy conservation to industry to space exploration.
With her deep roots in North Alabama, Susan is a Democrat who can win the support of a large segment of the North Alabama business community.
Susan has a solid, organized base of support in the Fifth District unmatched by any other potential candidate.
As a result of her Senate race in 2002 and two successful statewide races, Susan’s recognition is substantial, particularly in the Fifth District.
Susan campaigned for national office in 2002 and has proven her ability to raise money all over the nation without help from the DNC or the DSCC.
Susan’s resume has all the right stuff and none of the wrong stuff. She’s squeaky clean and has an unblemished and unchallenged reputation through the state, even after three very visible races.
Susan is a STAR, with support of Fifth District voters, a proven support network, proven fundraising ability and the prior endorsement of the state’s most progressive newspapers.
SUSAN PARKER IS A DEMOCRATIC STAR, WITH PROVEN SUPPORT OF FIFTH DISTRICT VOTERS , A PROVEN SUPPORT NETWORK, PROVEN FUNDRAISING ABILITY AND THE LIKELY ENDORSEMENT OF THE STATE’S MOST PROGRESSIVE EDITORS. THERE IS NO DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE AS POISED AS SUSAN PARKER TO WIN BUD CRAMER’S CONGRESSIONAL SEAT.
Danny at Doc's Political Parlor quotes a release from PSC Commissioner Susan Parker and notes that she "sounds more and more like a candidate" for the seat Bud Cramer will be vacating.
Over the past several days, I’ve been humbled as literally hundreds of Alabamians — Democrats, Republicans, and independents — across the 5th Congressional District have urged me to run for Congress. At the invitation of leaders in Washington, this week I am traveling to our nation’s capitol to discuss my potential candidacy. However, my decision will not be based on political or even personal factors, but on the most effective way to help the working families of our district. While I am still prayerfully considering my decision, I am doing what is necessary to prepare to hit the ground running should I decide to enter the race.
While there are a number of well qualified Democrats in position to run for the AL-05 seat, I personally believe Susan Parker would be the strongest candidate we could field. I hope she will decide to make the personal sacrifices required to seek and hold this office and represent the people of Alabama's 5th District -- she would do it with grace, style and great intelligence.
Sign the Susan for Congress petition if you'd like to encourage her to run.
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Like Nouveau Republian sans committee assignments 
It's only been two weeks since North Alabama Rep. 
A reliable source tells me that Susan Parker has decided not to run for Bud Cramer's Congressional seat. For a number of reasons this was just not a good time for her to make the run.
