October 13, 2004
The November election is fast approaching. The Presidential race seems to be the center of all political attention. However, we do have some state races this year. The highlight of our state races will be for the three seats on the State Supreme Court. Currently eight-out-of-nine of our State Justices are Republican. The only Democrat on the high court, Douglas Johnstone, is retiring. Another Justice, Gorman Houston, a Republican, is retiring. Running for Houston's open seat is Republican, Mike Bolin of Jefferson County, and John Rochester, a Democrat Circuit Judge from Ashland. Seeking Johnstone's seat is Democrat Roger Monroe and Republican Patti Smith. Bolin and Smith won their Republican primary victory's with large pluralities in Jefferson and Shelby counties and lots of business money. The Business Council will be pouring even more money into their campaign coffers. It's expected that the plaintiff lawyers will support Democrats Rochester and Monroe. Tom Parker is the Roy Moore backed Republican candidate for the third seat. He defeated fellow Republican incumbent, Jean Brown, in the June 1st GOP Primary. Parker was the candidate of Moore's Christian Coalition, and the trial lawyers in June. He will be tough to beat. His Democratic opponent is Mobilian, Robert Smith. All three Republicans are favored to win. If that happens, that will make the Supreme Court all Republican - nine-out-of-nine.
October 06, 2004
A good many of you seemed to like the series of September columns on George Wallace. Several of my legislative friends have chatted with me and told me how much they enjoyed the Wallace series and how it evoked memories of the Governor. It prompted them to share their most memorable Wallace stories with me. We have swapped tales that many of us enjoy telling about Governor Wallace.
September 29, 2004
Governor Bob Riley deserves accolades for his leadership during Hurricane Ivan. When all of the property damage is finally assessed, it will more than likely be the most devastating hurricane to have ever ravaged Alabama. However, the minimal loss of life in Alabama can largely be attributed to Riley's yeoman efforts before, during, and after the storm. He displayed genuine concern, compassion, and decisiveness. The nation marveled at Alabama's preparedness and evacuation.
September 22, 2004
When George Wallace was elected Governor in 1962, he started a virtual monopoly on the Governor's office that lasted more than two decades, 1963-1987. Alabama voters elected Wallace Governor for an unprecedented four terms, 1962, 1970, 1974, and 1982. He was basically elected as defacto Governor during the administration of his wife Lurleen Burns Wallace from 1967 to 1968. During the same period he ran for President unsuccessfully four times. There was hardly an election during the 25-year span that Wallace was not on the ballot. He ran for Governor as a Democrat and nationally on different party labels. He was basically the racist candidate who also railed against federal power.
September 15, 2004
Many historians and political scientists point to a certain political race and year as a watershed or pivotal race in a state's course or history. That year in Alabama and that race was the 1970 Governor's race between George Wallace and Albert Brewer. It was an epic battle.
September 09, 2004
George Wallace is without a question the most renowned political figure in Alabama history. Wallace may be number one in Southern political lore although he would arguably have competition from Louisiana's Huey Long, the Talmadges of Georgia, Tillman from South Carolina, and Bilbo from Mississippi. It seems that we Southerners have enjoyed our political characters more than the rest of the country. I guess because we had less entertainment. All of the above mentioned characters came along before the advent of television and we had no major league baseball team to pull for as the Braves only came to Atlanta in recent years. All of our leading politicians were born actors and performers. Their campaign appearances were theatrical. They were born orators and sometimes part clown. They were also progressives who railed against big powerful moneyed special interests, usually located "up North," who were cheating and stealing from the poor masses of Southerners. They were all demagogues, but we expected it from them.
September 01, 2004
A living legend in Alabama political lore celebrated his 80th birthday recently. Walter Johnsey has been the most influential political man in Alabama politics for close to three decades. He has done it behind the scene, quietly without fanfare or seeking glory. He has been the power behind the throne for many administrations in Montgomery as well as numerous Congressmen and most of the State Legislature. He has done it from his perch above the fray in Birmingham. Many an aspiring politician for statewide office has come calling on Mr. Walter to kiss the ring of the king maker. If Walter liked their pitch, they left with a healthy contribution to their war chest.
August 18, 2004
Over the past decade or so, a political party divide has developed in Washington politics. It has been so pronounced that our national political party alignment has become similar to Britain's. In England, members of parliament do not really run as individuals, they become selected members of either the Liberal or Conservative Party. The British voters vote for the party they want in power and the members of Parliament are simply along for the ride and sit in Parliament only because they are members of that party. Therefore, they naturally vote the way their party leadership tells them.
August 11, 2004
For most of my life Alabama gubernatorial candidates have run on a platform of let's take politics out of the road programs and highway department and turn it over to an impartial commission that will build roads where they are most needed and best for the state as a whole. As soon as the election is over the talk and promises end and we are back to politics as usual. Because the Highway Department has been the best political tool any Governor could have in state government, it has been the golden goose of Alabama politics. Governors like Big Jim Folsom and George Wallace used the immense power of the road-building agency to raise enormous amounts of campaign money as well as using their discretion of where road projects went to reward their friends and punish their enemies. It has been used repeatedly to strong arm legislators to vote with the administration. In fact a certain road or bridge that might be dear to a legislator may be used over-and-over again to garner his or her vote on more than one bill or project.
August 04, 2004
For most of my life Alabama gubernatorial candidates have run on a platform of let's take politics out of the road programs and highway department and turn it over to an impartial commission that will build roads where they are most needed and best for the state as a whole. As soon as the election is over the talk and promises end and we are back to politics as usual. Because the Highway Department has been the best political tool any Governor could have in state government, it has been the golden goose of Alabama politics. Governors like Big Jim Folsom and George Wallace used the immense power of the road-building agency to raise enormous amounts of campaign money as well as using their discretion of where road projects went to reward their friends and punish their enemies. It has been used repeatedly to strong arm legislators to vote with the administration. In fact a certain road or bridge that might be dear to a legislator may be used over-and-over again to garner his or her vote on more than one bill or project.