August 03, 2005
Our founding fathers settled America to escape the tyrannical and undemocratic rule of England. They were determined to found a new country without the idea of British royalty ruling them and with a say in the affairs of the state. They yearned for an egalitarian state where every person, regardless of their birth status, could rise to their potential and fulfill their hopes and dreams without the yoke of limitations. They disliked the thought of royalties or dynasties.
July 27, 2005
The 2006 campaign season officially began on June 6th with the opening of fundraising, but the players have been slow to pull the trigger or at least show their hands. However, the two Democratic frontrunners for Governor, Lucy Baxley and Don Siegelman, have not been shy or reluctant. Siegelman filed papers the first day and you can bet he is fundraising and a legendary Birmingham political contributor admitted that Lucy Baxley called him at home at 7 a.m. the morning of June 6th to ask him to be one of her first contributors. Lucy may dispel doubts that she is a weak fundraiser. Lucy is the early favorite. However, the more the Republican federal prosecutors prolong the Siegelman probe, it plays to Siegelman’s advantage. He is getting a lot of sympathy support among minority voters who perceive him as being persecuted for political reasons. Minority voters make up a majority of Democratic Primary voters in Alabama.
July 20, 2005
The recent revelations of misconduct by Alabama’s Christian Coalition have brought indignation against and a lack of respect and credibility to the group. The audacious hypocrisy exhibited by saying you are a Christian group and making your hallmark issue opposition to gambling while at the same time taking illicit gambling money seems atrocious. However, in politics it is not unparalleled.
July 13, 2005
The much anticipated and necessary Special Legislative Session will commence shortly. A Special Session is imminent because the new budget year begins October 1 and the General Fund Budget has to be in place before that date or state government will shut down.
July 06, 2005
Even though 2005 is not an election year it does not mean that politics is not alive and well in Alabama. The political pot is boiling under the surface. It will explode into full combat later this year with the Governor’s race looming on the horizon for 2006. The fundraising, jockeying, and skirmishing is under way preparing for the battle.
June 29, 2005
Many of you have asked the question of why, when Alabama is considered such a Republican state when it comes to Presidential politics, is the Alabama Legislature so predominately Democratic. It is quite an anomaly.
June 22, 2005
Tip O’Neal, the famous old Irish political pol who represented Boston for three decades in Congress and rose to become Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives never forgot where he was from and who sent him to Congress. He believed in taking care of the home folks. His most famous saying was “all politics is local.”
June 15, 2005
As mentioned last week, the race for 2006 campaign dollars begins this month. It is my belief that Political Action Committees, which are the largest contributors to state races, will concentrate their resources toward Legislative and Senate races. They will not ignore the Governor and Lt. Governor races, but the large amount of funds spent on those races in the past will drift towards the pivotal State Senate, which is where the power rests.
June 08, 2005
The bell has rung to begin fundraising for next year’s 2006 Election. Alabama’s law allows candidates to begin raising campaign money one year prior to the party primaries, which will be June 6, 2006.
June 01, 2005
The just completed Regular Session of the Legislature frankly was a failure. The only thing the Constitution requires the Legislature to do is pass the budget. They were in session three and a half months and failed to pass the General Fund Budget. The Senate, which is where the blame rests, never even took up the budget. Now because there is no General Fund Budget Gov. Riley must call the Legislature into a Special Session costing taxpayers over $400,000.00, an expense which must come out of a woefully broke General Fund. A Fund that is so under funded that the budget passed by the House was strapped together with $250 million dollars of one-time money. It is a train wreck waiting to happen and the wreck will occur next year as elections are ongoing.