I spent my Memorial Day weekend in Baldwin County. My intention was to have a leisurely trip to visit some old friends, but from almost the instant I got onto AL-59, a new topic reared its ugly head. I did have time to relax, but I ended up working for most of the weekend.
Almost immediately, I noticed that there are no signs anywhere for Democratic candidates in statewide or local races. I wasn’t sure what to think of it-- possibly some irreverent Republican canvassed the county, pulling them up and replacing them with signs from their own party.
I have to say, I’ve always enjoyed primary elections more than the general.
Of course, there’s more bearing to voting in the general election, but to me, the primaries are much more fun. You get to vote for who you want to. There’s a lot to be excited about.
Griffith is number 45 on Roll Call's 50 Richest in Congress list. PG's financial standing was a big part of his ability to clear the primary field in 2008 and will make it hard to recruit a primary challenger against him in 2010.
Face it, the rich are different when it comes to getting elected -- they aren't subject to spending limits on their own money!
From the Department of Missed Opportunities: In case your buyer's remorse over electing Parker Griffith and Bobby Bright isn't bad enough yet ...
... on average, women in Congress introduce more bills, attract more co-sponsors and bring home more money for their districts than their male counterparts do.
Just imagine the difference if Cheryl Sabel and Susan Parker were representing AL-02 and AL-05 in Congress today.
If you live in Congressional District 2, I urge you to vote June 3 for Cheryl Sabel for the Democratic nomination for Congress. As she says in her television ad*, she is pro-choice, pro-worker and anti-war. Those six words alone distinguish her among Tuesday's field (and, sadly, from everyone who has held that Congressional seat in the last century).
But there are even more reasons to vote for Cheryl. She is one of the most decent, most principled, most intelligent people I've ever known. She comes from a working-class Alabama family and has educated herself and learned leadership skills and put them into practice. She has an open, collaborative style that is precisely what is needed in a congresswoman. She speaks plainly but eloquently, and she grasps the significant issues—not the sham patriotism and moralism that passes for political standards among so many of Alabama's elected officials—that confront us.
From the war in Iraq to foreign trade, education, immigration, transportation, economics, energy, taxation, to any other issue I can think of, Cheryl's views are consistently progressive, commonsense, and, if I dare say so, American and small-d democratic to the core. Further, you can count on her to vote according to those principles.
With respect,
Randall Williams
Television ad
I'm Cheryl Sabel, the only candidate for District 2 not offering more of the same.
The war must end, now. Corporations and the wealthy should pay their fair share. Education, heatlh care, help for our veterans and seniors must be funded.
I'm a pro-choice, pro-union Democrat and I will represent the working folks of Alabama
Please vote for Cheryl Sabel on June 3rd. The real Democrat and the clear choice for positive change.
There's a massive redistribution of wealth going on in the Wiregrass region of Alabama. Dollars are flowing from Republican candidates to anyone and everyone who sells election-related goods and services. Last week I speculated that GOP candidates would drop a couple of million dollars in Alabama's 2nd District before they got to the general election. With additional pre-primary financial reports available now, it's clear they will spend well over $2 million before they even get to the runoff. It must be nice to have money to burn.
The numbers below reflect information from the candidates' pre-primary FEC reports, due 5/22. N/A means they didn't file or the report isn't available online yet. Remember, the job they're seeking only(!?) pays $169,300 per year.
* Jay Love has loaned his campaign another $151,000 since this report was filed, bringing his total to a cool half million dollars.
No doubt about it, if you're running as a Republican in 2008, it helps to be rich. A whopping 63% of the money raised so far by these Republicans came out of their own pockets -- that's serious hubris.
Here's the fundraising picture on the Democratic side of the primary:
If you eliminate vanity money -- the $1.27 million from their own pockets -- the four Republicans above have raised an average of $181,478 each from outside sources. In other words, about $30K less than Bobby Bright has brought in so far, and all his money comes from someone else.
Fundraising ability often tracks a candidate's level of support in the community, but "self love" money doesn't count as an indication of support. On that basis, Mayor Bright appears to be doing quite well. The Republican hopefuls, on the other hand, are on the road to the poor house.
On the Democratic ballot, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright clearly stands out as the strongest candidate. He is opposed by Troy dentist Cendie Crawley and Cheryl Sabel, president of the Alabama Chapter of the National Organization of Women. Sabel is a woman of principle and strong convictions, but she is far too liberal for the typical voter in District 2.
I'm not sure what "far too liberal" means. I cut and pasted the things Cheryl believes right from her web site and I still don't get it. These all seem like core Democratic values to me:
Cheryl believes the Iraq invasion and occupation was built on lies and should be brought to an immediate end. She is one of 42 candidate signees to the Responsible Plan to End The Iraq War.
Cheryl believes strongly in universal healthcare for every American.
Cheryl is a strong advocate for a living wage for workers and believes it is long overdue.
Cheryl believes that we need a farm bill that looks out for the interests of Alabama farmers.
Cheryl believes that all people who come to the U.S. should do so legally, but favors an end to the red tape that makes that process more difficult. She does not believe building a wall will solve anything.
Cheryl believes that government has no role in a woman's decision to end a pregnancy.
In a conversation I had with Cheryl, I asked her about her views on gun control. She didn't stammer or stutter in answering me. She's a strong supporter of the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which grants the right to bear arms to every citizen. Her only qualification was automatic weapons.
What's too liberal? Our other choices are too "conservative".
to the Blue Moon Coffee Shop and Cyber Cafe in Eufaula (347 S. Eufaula Avenue, Suite 2),
Tuesday May 20, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm for coffee and conversation with
Cheryl Sabel, Democratic Candidate for U.S. Congress, Alabama District 2.
Cheryl is the only progressive among the 9 candidates running for this office. She has received the endorsments of: Alabama New South Coalition; Bullock County Voters League; Democracy for America, Montgomery Chapter; and National Organization for Women PAC.
Cheryl is running against Bobby Bright, Mayor of Montgomery, in the June 3rd Democratic Primary for the seat being vacated by Terry Everett.
If you're in the area, stop on by.
Even if you can't stop by, you can support Cheryl's candidacy with a contribution through her ActBlue page. Campaigns have to reach thousands of voters (about 700,000 in a Congressional district) to be effective and that takes MONEY!
Cheryl Sabel's campaign just announced that she has received endorsements from the Alabama New South Coalition, the Bullock County Voters League, the Montgomery Chapter of Democracy for America and the National Organization for Women PAC. Sabel claims to be "the only real Democrat running in the District 2 primary" and these endorsements certainly indicate that she is the preferred choice for progressive Democrats in the 2nd District.
I don't know anything about the Bullock County Voters League, but New South, DFA and NOW are definitely on the progressive side of the scale, which is good. There is nothing radical about wanting government to strive to improve conditions for its citizens. That's called PROGRESS and it's in short supply after all these years of Republican rule.
"I am honored and proud to receive these endorsements," said Sabel. "These groups represent many people whose voices have long been ignored in District 2. My platform is that of the hard working people of the second district who are tired of the rhetoric of so-called 'compassionate Christian conservatives' whose intentions, actions, and policies are mean-spirited and detrimental to our country and our state. I am not a 'social conservative' -- I stand for social justice," said Sabel.
Cheryl Sabel is running for the nomination on a platform of: economic policies designed to allow people to earn a living wage and to ensure free, quality public education for all our children to include preschool through junior college or vocational training; tax policies to distribute the burden of taxation so that wealthy individuals and big corporations pay their fair share; farm policies that benefit our independent farmers; health care policies to provide quality health care for every man, woman, and child; and foreign policies to make our country more safe and more secure instead of squandering lives and money on invasions and occupations. She has pledged to hold quarterly town hall meetings in EACH of the 16 counties of District 2 to report to her constituents what is going on in Congress and to listen to the people in her district.
On the distinctly non-progressive side of the Alabama 2nd Congressional District race, Danny recently reported that candidate Harri Anne Smith was endorsed by John Giles, longtime head of the Christian Coalition of Alabama.
Jennifer Foster also reported that GOP candidate David Grimes is courting an endorsement from Mike Huckabee. Y'all remember that Huckabee finished first in the Alabama Republican primary back on super Tuesday. I wonder which, if any of the Republican hopefuls in AL-02 are seeking an endorsement from John McCain?
If you aren't close enough to knock on doors you can still help Cheryl Sabel with a contribution through her ActBlue account.
WSFA and AARP sponsored a candidate forum last night for congressional hopefuls in the 2nd district of Alabama. The Republican candidates (except Harri Anne Smith) went first, then the Democrats and they were asked the same questions. WSFA has posted video of the entire forum.
Democrat Cheryl Sabel of Montgomery differed from her competitors by supporting abortion rights and getting troops out of Iraq. Fellow Democrat Cendie Crawley, a dentist from Troy, also said the United States needs to remove its forces from Iraq. The candidates were not asked about the war.
"We are less safe than we have ever been," said Sabel, president of the Alabama chapter of the National Organization for Women. "We have to end this war."
Crawley said the nation could redirect the millions being spent on the war to use on health care.
Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, also a Democrat, answered two of the three questions by stating he has addressed the issues as mayor. He said he worked to help maintain military jobs at Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex despite proposed cuts during the most recent round of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission.
Bright said the city partnered with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries to collect used cooking oil from restaurants to produce diesel to fuel vehicles in Montgomery's fleet.
"If we get the U.S. Government into healthcare, it will absolutely ruin healthcare. We're not a nation of entitlement," explained Republican David Grimes.
Apparently no one has told Grimes about the Veterans Administration health care program or Medicare, two successful programs in which the government is very involved in health care.
Cheryl Sabel is running for Congress in Alabama's 2nd District. Cheryl is the president of Alabama NOW, and she was a good friend to my brother. She spoke beautifully about him at his memorial service and at this year's hate crimes vigil.
Click here to listen to her interview with BlogTalkRadio (it starts at the 9:15 mark and runs about 20 minutes). Cheryl speaks at length about the Responsible Plan to end the war in Iraq, which not only advocates an end to military operations but also a comprehensive diplomatic and humanitarian effort to repair the damage done and work toward stability in the region -- and the restoration of civil liberties here at home.
She addresses the high poverty rate in Alabama and the need for quality education and a living wage. She talks about her work with Montgomery AIDS Outreach and the importance of accurate and comprehensive sex education to prevent pregnancy and the spread of STDs. She wraps up the interview with the purpose of her campaign, to be a voice for those who face discrimination and to counter what's become a culture of hatred against those who are different.
It's great to hear a progressive voice here in Alabama. Go Cheryl!
****
Click here to contribute to Cheryl's campaign. You can send a check or give online through ActBlue .
David McLaughlin dropped me a line to say 2nd District Congressional candidate Cheryl Sabel will be a guest on Sunday's Kudzu Vine blogtalkradio show. It will air live at 6 pm Central time. They put the shows on the website so you can listen later if you miss it live.
If you click on that Kudzu Vine link above, be sure to listen to the first few minutes of last week's show. It sounds like the Georgia Legislature is in the same league as the Alabama Legislature. They say the theme of the Georgia Legislature this session is the fighting. Is dysfunctional government a relic of the Old South or something?
A few weeks ago Jim Spearman, executive director of the Alabama Democratic Party, was a guest on the Kudzu Vine. In case you missed it, the Spearman segment starts at around 35 minutes into the program.
Cheryl Sabel is the only Alabama congressional candidate (so far) to endorse the Responsible Plan to end the war in Iraq. It's kind of an innovation for an Alabama candidate to run on getting out of Iraq and I hope she will take this opportunity to talk about her decision and about steps Congress should take to restore Constitutional protections and prevent a repeat of the Iraq mistake in the future.
I said Sabel is the only Alabama candidate to endorse the Responsible Plan so far because Dr. David Maker, running in AL-05, indicated last night that he might also sign onto this proposal. Right now 50 House candidates and 4 Senate candidates have signed on to the plan for a responsible withdrawal from Iraq.
The Montgomery Advertiser actually covered Cheryl Sabel's endorsement of the Responsible Plan to end the Iraq war -- as far as I can tell they are the only traditional media outlet in Alabama who could be bothered with something trivial like that. Reporter Jill Nolan even included the web address in her story:
According to Sabel, some of the key points of the plan are to end the presence in Iraq of U.S. troops; address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq; fund veterans' care and benefits; restore habeas corpus; end torture; restore our independent media; create a clean energy economy; and that use of U.S. military force should be a last resort.
The Iraq war has cost the lives of 3987 (and counting) American soldiers and is estimated to cost the United States at least $3 trillion. Two-thirds of Americans oppose the war, 61% think the next president should get our troops out early next year. In this election year the war is the elephant in the room but the Alabama press still does their darndest to ignore it, printing the latest messages from Osama bin Laden (why the heck is he still out there recording messages?) and assurances from Bush that that victory is near -- not to mention Cheney's contention that it simply doesn't matter what the public thinks. Guys like Cheney are getting rich off the war while the American people foot the bill and someone else's kids are shipped to the desert to fight and die.
But I digress. My point is that the Democratic congressional candidates from across the country are endorsing a plan to do what two-thirds of Americans want to do -- get our of Iraq in a careful, responsible fashion -- and one of those candidates is right here in Alabama. This is not a pie in the sky proposal, but a well considered plan. Go read it for yourself -- it's only 34 pages but it covers a lot of ground and has the support of military figures such as:
Major General Paul Eaton (US Army ret.), the general in charge of training the Iraqi military immediately after the invasion in 2003 and 2004.
Brigadier General John Johns (US Army ret), a specialist in counterinsurgency and nation-building
Captain Larry Seaquest (US Navy, ret) former commander of the USS Iowa and a former Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense.
After you read it, take another look at Cheryl Sabel and thank her for stepping up to say what ordinary Americans have been thinking for a long time -- it's time to get out of Iraq as soon as we responsibly can.
Bonus: Here is General Eaton, Petraeus's predecessor, discussing the plan.
Second District candidate Cheryl Sabel's website is up and it looks good. Sabel also issued a press release today confirming that she has endorsed the Responsible Plan to end the war in Iraq and restore our Constitution:
Today, I am pleased to announce that I am joining other progressive candidates for the U.S. Congress in endorsing “A Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq.” The plan may be downloaded in its entirety at www.responsibleplan.com .
Important tenets of the plan:
End the presence in Iraq of U.S. troops
Address the humanitarian crisis in Iraq
Fund veterans’ care and benefits
Restore habeas corpus
End torture
Clarify that the President does not have Constitutional authority to unilaterally alter legislation through signing statement
Clarify that the Fourth Amendment requires probably cause and a warrant for the government to spy on Americans
Restore our independent media
Create a clean energy economy
Use of U.S. military force should be a last resort
I like this plan a lot and I wish all our Congressional candidates would talk about upholding the Constitution. That's pretty basic. Tell us that you support the entire Constitution and will uphold and defend it from all threats, even (especially?) those that originate here at home -- like Dick and George.
Kudos to Cheryl Sabel for being the first candidate in Alabama with the guts to endorse this plan. You can send her a thank you here. Like she says, no amount is too small.
Goldy at HorsesAss reports that AL-02 candidate Cheryl Sabel has signed onto the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq. You can download the entire plan at that link, but this is from the Executive Summary:
There are two strategic questions raised by our current dilemma:
How do we bring American military engagement in Iraq to a responsible end?
There is no military solution to the problems faced in Iraq: the real progress that can be made requires diplomatic, political, and economic means. We must stop counter-productive military operations by U.S. occupation forces and end our military presence in Iraq.
How do we prevent a repeat of the mistakes we've made?
The breakdown of checks and balances in our government led to bad decision-making which damaged America's national security. Ending this war and preventing future situations like it requires that we restore these Constitutional checks and balances and fix the ways in which our governmental, military, and civil institutions have failed us.
Discussions of Iraq in the media have focused almost entirely on military operations and issues, but any real solution will require us to look at a broader set of problems. Beyond redeploying our troops, we must place equal importance on applying the full arsenal of non-military tools at our disposal. The American public must also re-engage in the discussions and decision-making about how to proceed.
What follows is a series of objectives that, taken together, refocus our current military involvement in the region while repairing damage to the U.S. to prevent a repeat of our mistakes. We have included some sample legislation currently in Congress to show that these objectives have been identified and can be addressed given sufficient political will. We have also included recommendations that the Baker-Hamilton Commission published in the Iraq Study Group Report. In some cases, no existing legislation or clear recommendations exist and new authorizing legislation plus careful planning would be required.
Supporters of this document have committed to these objectives.
Finding a diplomatic, political or economic solution that gets our troops out of Iraq, stabilizing the region, restoring our Constitution, repairing our military, phasing out private militias, delivering on healthcare promises for veterans, rolling back media consolidation and ending our dependence on foreign oil are policy positions that should find broad support in Alabama. I'm glad Ms. Sabel picked this day, the 5th Anniversary of the start of this ill-conceived foreign war, to embrace the Responsible Plan. More power to her and may other candidates rally around her.
Reward good behavior. Cheryl Sabel has an ActBlue page. Add .01 to your donation so they know it comes from the netroots.
Cheryl Sabel made it official on Thursday -- she's not giving Montgomery mayor Bobby Bright a free ride to the Democratic nomination for the open seat in the 2nd Congressional District.
Sabel said Thursday that she stands for the following:
Ending the War in Iraq. "When Congress stops funding this war, we can begin to heal our nation and our economy," she said.
Increasing the minimum wage. She did not say how much it needed to be raised but she said the increase needed to be substantial.
Illegal immigration reform. She said reform is needed but that changes need to be done humanely.
Preserving reproductive rights. She said she advocates keeping abortion safe and legal. Sabel said she believes a woman should have the right to make her own personal decision about whether or when to bear a child -- without government interference.
Universal health care for Americans.
I'm all for having a "big tent" party, but Cheryl's views are more in line with mine that Bright's on most issues and I'm glad she's in the race to start a discussion on these issues. Alabama is one of the poorest states in the nation and also one of only 5 that don't have a state minimum wage law. Instead we have relied on the feds to regulate the least amount a person's time is worth and the working poor fell further and further behind. Go Cheryl!
The race to replace Terry Everett in Alabama's 2nd Congressional District already has 6 Republicans and one Democrat, but it may get even more interesting. Danny at Doc's Political Parlor is reporting that Alabama NOW President Cheryl Sabel may challenge Bright for the Democratic nomination.
Cheryl Sabel is a smart, attractive woman and a great public speaker who has previously spoken of "educating people about politicians who do not represent [the] women who helped get them elected.” She is also considerably to the left of Bright and her entrance in the race would spark discussion of progressive ideas and issues that otherwise would never see the light of day in that race. Progressivism needs a messenger and I wish her well.
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Cheryl Sabel's
