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Jim DeMint, Tea Parties Fight the Entrenched Establishment

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-09-03T11:11:54-05:00

National Review Online has a great profile of Sen. Jim DeMint today. Trent Lott is wrong, we need a whole Senate full of Jim DeMint disciples...

On the candidates he's backing through the Senate Conservatives Fund and with the help of Tea Party groups:

These candidates are leaders in their own right. I’m supporting them, because they’re not running on some consultant’s talking points. They’re running on principle.” Jockeying for a leadership position, he says, is not his focus. “What I’m interested in is turning this country away from its fiscal cliff — and for the first time since Reagan, I think that we have a chance for real action, not just political posturing.”

On the GOP establishment:

Still, without naming names, DeMint remains critical of many establishment GOP senators. Earlier this summer, former Senate majority leader Trent Lott (Miss.) told the Washington Post that the Senate does not “need a lot of Jim DeMint disciples.” Party leaders, he said, need to move quickly to “co-opt” any rabble-rousing conservatives who may find their way to the marble halls of Washington. DeMint, with a hint of disgust, says, “We need to realize that Trent Lott was speaking for many senior Republicans.”

Looking at what has happened in Republican primaries across the country--most recently with Joe Miller in Alaska--establishment Republicans have a reason to be worried.

Carly Fiorina Speaks Out Against Net Neutrality

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-31T15:17:23-05:00

Carly Fiorina recently announced her opposition to the principle of Net Neutrality at the Technology Policy Institute's conference in Aspen, CO.

“The principle sounds fantastic, but the principle is not the problem,” Fiorina said in an interview at the Technology Policy Institute’s conference in Aspen, Colo. “The problem is how companies and regulatory bodies are trying to translate that principle into policy, which would have a bad effect.”

A spokeswoman later added that Fiorina “opposes Net neutrality and thinks government intervention and more regulation will not be helpful where the Internet is concerned.”

It’s really helpful to have someone running for office publicly standing opposed to NN who is as knowledgeable on it as is Fiorina – she is a former (1999-2005) chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard (HP).

Fiorina’s opponent is a big NN proponent.

Fiorina’s position contrasts greatly with that of her opponent, Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, who previously cosponsored legislation that would have set open Internet rules firmly in place.
In a statement, Boxer reaffirmed her support for Net neutrality. Her office later added that Boxer felt it was “premature to comment” on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)’s efforts to mandate Net neutrality using its own rule-making process.

I have written on Net Neutrality on here before. It basically amounts to a government takeover of the internet. I'm glad Republicans have at least one candidate that is well-informed on the issue.

RSLC: Things Are Looking Good For Republicans

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-25T10:26:40-05:00

The RSLC just released their weekly report on the REDistricting MAjority Project, and things are looking good for Republicans. Alabama is highlighted for the new "Handshake with Alabama".
“Republican candidates hoping to end Democratic dominance of the Alabama Legislature unveiled an agenda Monday,” according to The Associated Press. “House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, who’s also chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, said all Republican candidates for the Legislature are supporting the ‘2010 Republican Handshake with Alabama,’ and its passage depends on Republicans taking control of the Legislature for the first time in 136 years. To try to accomplish that, GOP candidates are doing more than saying what they will do. Hubbard said they are tying Alabama Democrats to Washington to capitalize on voters’ uneasiness with the national economy and dislike of some new federal policies, particularly health care. ‘The Democrats in Alabama are no different than the Democrats in Washington. They have the same philosophy,’ said state Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston. Marsh, the GOP’s state finance chairman, was one of 17 legislative candidates who joined Hubbard to unveil the legislative agenda.”

Have Republicans Learned Their Lesson?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-24T22:57:44-05:00

Erick Erickson has a good post up over at Red State on Minority Whip Eric Cantor's statement on earmarks.

Meet the New Boss. Same as the Old Boss.

Posted by Erick Erickson (Profile)
Tuesday, August 24th at 5:00AM EDT
112 Comments
Has the GOP learned its lessons from 2006?
That’s the big question many on the right are asking themselves. After all, on the Senate side the same leadership that led the GOP out of power will be the same leadership leading the GOP back into power if they take back the Senate.
In the House of Representatives, the members did a good job replacing their failed leadership. Hastert retired, DeLay quit, Blunt left leadership. Blunt’s Deputy Whip, Eric Cantor, moved up to Whip. Kevin McCarthy and Mike Pence came in underneath. In fact, Eric Cantor is the only member of the Hastert-DeLay-Blunt-Cantor House GOP Leadership team to remain.
On the House side, as a very public repudiation of their past, John Boehner led the GOP to refuse earmarks — the bribes both sides have used for so long to grow government and get their pet programs passed.
Earmarks were used to bribe Republicans to support the prescription drug benefit and TARP. Earmarks were used to bribe Democrats to support Obamacare. Earmarks are a drug and the GOP, to absolve itself of its own sins, publicly declared that House Republicans would give up the very corrupting practice.
But it was all for show, or so it seems. House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA) declares earmarks will be back in full swing once the GOP takes back Congress. Read More...
It's kind of discouraging that the GOP leadership still hasn't learned its lesson. What's it going to take to make them get it? We have to concentrate on winning majorities in both houses first, but then we need to start cleaning our own house...

Sarah Palin and the Rise of Conservative Feminism

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-23T22:39:02-05:00

Dana Loesch has a great column about the new conservative women's movement. I'm especially glad Loesch exposed the hypocrisy of liberal feminists who have been allowed to pretend to be for women's rights, but in reality only care about the rights of women who share their political ideology:

This past month, liberal feminists made more hay made over Palin's "mama grizzlies" talk than the matter of the Food and Drug Administration jerking Avastin off the market. Avastin is a drug used to treat late-stage breast cancer and has been shown to extend the life of some breast cancer patients by five months, but was deemed "cost-prohibitive" by the government.Emily's List cared enough about women to make a video criticizing Palin, but apparently not enough about breast cancer patients to make a video criticizing the FDA's move.Liberal feminists made more hay about Palin's chest than I saw them make over the nine women who were recently stoned to death in the Middle East. Those same liberal feminists were also silent when Alle Bautsch was beaten in the street for being a conservative woman.Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/columns/Sarah-Palin-and-the-rise-of-the-Feminist-Right-534655-101265274.html#ixzz0xUXK2FC9

Republican Handshake With Alabama

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-16T11:10:53-05:00

Today, Alabama Republican Legislators released their new Handshake With Alabama--Agenda for a Republican Majority.

To see the document click here.

I think this is a pretty solid agenda, and I hope they can get all these things done. I saw Sen. Scott Beason (R-Gardendale) speak at the GBYR meeting last Thursday, and he sounded pretty confident the Republicans had their act together. He told the YR's, "If we don't do what we say we're going to do, fire us...every single one of us...and get people in there who will." Statements like that are why Scott Beason needs to be pro tempore.

Moderation: Why Both the Left and the Right Are Necessary

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-16T10:14:58-05:00

I came across this quote from John Stuart Mill (from On Liberty) today, and it made me think about what the end goal is, or should be, for political parties.

"In politics, again, it is almost a commonplace, that a party of order or stability, and a party of progress or reform, are both necessary elements of a healthy state of political life; until the one or the other shall have so enlarged its mental grasp as to be a party equally of order and of progress, knowing and distinguishing what is fit to be preserved from what ought to be swept away. Each of these modes of thinking derives its utility from the deficiencies of the other; but it is in a great measure the opposition of the other that keeps each within the limits of reason and sanity."
As conservatives, is it our goal to completely eliminate liberalism in government? Is some liberalism actually a necessary part of society? I don't have the answers, but these are interesting questions. I'd love to hear what others think about this...

Net Neutrality: Government Takeover of the Internet

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-08T12:54:50-05:00

We all know there are different types of content on the internet--emails, websites, photos, videos, etc. Certain types of content (especially videos and very large files) take a lot more bandwidth than other types of content. Think of the internet as a highway, and content as cars. A simple email with no attachments is like a small, fast sports car. It can get from point A to point B in a zip. A You Tube video is more like a big bus. It gets from point A to point B, but has to go a lot slower because of it's size. When the smaller, faster sports cars get stuck behind the big bus, it slows them down significantly. In order to keep the smaller content like emails from getting slowed down by large files and videos, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) prioritize content that takes less bandwidth. This would be akin to a fast lane on a highway just for small, fast cars.

Net Neutrality is the principle that all content should be treated equally no matter the size or amount of bandwidth they use. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is currently considering a regulatory scheme that would enforce this principle prohibiting ISPs from prioritizing certain kinds of content over others.

Net Neutrality is ultimately a huge power grab for the FCC. It would be the first time in history the Internet would be subject to regulation by the federal government. The FCC is becoming increasingly irrelevant with more and more of our daily communication moving to the internet from radio and television. The Net Neutrality movement is essentially a way to justify its continued existence.

Net Neutrality would at its base, be another federal government take over, this time, control of the internet. It will allow the federal government to regulate how ISPs manage content and data that travels across their networks. This will result in more congestion on the internet and less investment in broadband expansion.

The FCC has already attempted to enforce Net Neutrality and was prevented from doing so by a federal court in April 2010. The Federal Court of Appeals in DC said the FCC was trying to "shatter" the bounds of their legal authority by regulating the Internet. As a result, the FCC is now trying to reclassify the internet as a Title II "telecommunications service" which would allow them to enact Net Neutrality as well as many other harmful provisions. Title II contains 40+ provisions that were created to address monopoly telephone carriers during WWII. The FCC claims that they are only going to enforce 6 of these provisions and forebear the rest. The forebearance, however, is not legally binding and they could enforce any of the provisions they choose.

One of the worrisome provisions in Title II would allow the FCC to set price controls. They claim they don't intend to enforce this provision, but they would have a wide open path to set rates for Internet service. Most ISPs currently have a tiered pricing system. A consumer who just uses the internet to check email and look up the occasional website doesn't have the same bandwidth needs as someone who downloads a lot of You Tube videos or files. Thus, ISPs allow consumers to choose a wireless plan that best fits their needs. FCC enforcement of Net Neutrality will likely eliminate that option.

An organization called Free Press is the most vocal advocate for Net Neutrality. Free Press is a neo-Marxist group whose goal is to eliminate all private media in this country. They have repeatedly said that Net Neutrality is the first step toward eliminating private media and making broadband service a public utility. Google has been another ardent supporter of Net Neutrality. The concern of content providers like Google is that the ISPs will want to charge them to prioritize their content.

While the concerns of content providers are understandable, prioritizing can actually be a good thing. It creates a fast lane for companies that want to create a high amount of data. Google is afraid they will have to pay extra for that fast lane. That too, is not necessarily a bad thing. Allowing companies to pay extra to make sure that their product is delivered on time is not a new concept. Many companies switched from USPS to Fed Ex even though Fed Ex was more expensive, because they wanted to make sure their products got delivered on time. This would also provide another source of revenue for broadband expansion.

The coalition against Net Neutrality is bi-partisan with all House Republicans and 77 House and Senate Democrats sending a letter to the FCC in opposition. Reports are that the FCC has ended all talks with ISPs at the behest of Free Press, which would seem to be a step toward Title II regulation. However, there are signs that Google and some of the other content providers are concerned about the possibility of overburdensome regulations under Title II and have stepped back their efforts in favor of Net Neutrality. Google and Verizon are reportedly in talks, and Amazon is attempting to broker a compromise on Title II reclassification. It is looking more and more like content providers are going to be forced to work with ISPs to provide the best product to the consumer; thus, enabling free market forces to work without the heavy hand of government.

Propaganda At Its Finest

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-02T13:10:17-05:00

This is an example of the signs the federal government is requiring on job sites for federally-funded projects.

Kinda makes you sick doesn't it? Big Brother has to remind you of all the "good" things he's done to put people to work...

Another Great Chris Christie Moment

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-02T13:08:46-05:00

Allied Women/Eagle Forum Sponsor Activist Boot Camp

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-08-02T12:28:29-05:00

I often hear people say they are concerned about the direction our country is heading and that they'd like to do something about it, but don't know what to do. Eagle Forum of Alabama and Allied Women are partnering with American Majority to sponsor an Activist Training Boot Camp. I'll be doing a workshop on using new media like Facebook, Twitter, etc. In addition, we'll have sessions on the 72 hour push, coalition building, and more. If you want to get involved, but don't know how, this is your chance to find out. You can register by calling Allied Women or Eagle Forum. Registration is $25, which covers the cost of materials for the workbook you'll receive.

Chance to Win a Trip to New York, $3000 Shopping Spree, and a Meeting with Bill O'Reilly

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-29T09:16:27-05:00

John Hawkins at RightWingNews has the scoop on an amazing raffle sponsored by The Society of St. Vincent De Paul. First prize is a trip to NYC, $3000 shopping spree and a meeting with Bill O'Reilly. Second prize is roundtrip airfare anywhere in the continental U.S., and Third Prize is 2 tickets to the 2011 Super Bowl. I encourage everyone to check it out. Raffle tickets are $100.

Martha Roby on WSFA Newsmakers

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-23T14:16:26-05:00

Martha Roby, Republican candidate for congress in district 2, on WSFA Newsmakers:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Roby has a tough fight ahead with Democrat Bobby Bright. He's very popular and has voted conservatively on all the "big bills" that you hear about on the news. He has made some missteps lately on the issue of repealing Obamacare, which he says he's not in favor of. Roby has been arguing that his vote for Nancy Pelosi as speaker allows the Democrats to move their agenda forward even if Bright isn't voting for each individual piece of legislation.

Oil Spill Is Just Another Example of the Inefficiency of the Federal Government

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-19T14:28:55-05:00

Got this email from Marty Connors who spent the weekend at The Beach Club in Fort Morgan on the Alabama coast.

Just an hour ago, we caught a group of local workers who were employed by a sub contractor doing the clean up today and talked to a few of them.

The contractor is given eight miles of beach to "sweep". Employees receive $12 per hour, they are on a 20 minute work 40 minute off hourly schedule in the sun and a 30 minute on 30 minute off schedule if overcast. You can see the rest wagon in the background. Certain humidity readings are reviewed before deployment is allowed.

They are not allowed to get within 4 feet of the water (where most of the tar balls collect ,first fifteen feet, mostly in the water). Each are equipped with rubber boots, gloves, sweepers and identifying gear.

They fill bags with tar balls and sand but are instructed not to fill bags more than the equivalent size of a loaf of bread, so others can carry later in the process. The bags are picked up by tractor and sent for incineration.

We talked at length to one guy who had been unemployed for quite some time. He said, "I needed the work to put food on my table but let me tell you this is a cluster of inefficiency. we spend most of our time waiting for approval to go to work."

Here are some pictures he took:

So, in essence we have workers who are paid $12 to work 1/3 of an hour to collect tar balls, but aren't allowed to go where the tar balls are to pick them up...and to think, people actually want this same government to run our health care system....

RWN: 7 Things The GOP Can Do For The Right Side Of The Blogosphere

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-19T13:20:27-05:00

John Hawkins over at RightWingNews has a great article about things the Republicans can do to help out right wing bloggers.

Here are the 7 steps.

1) Funding help
2) Some sort of centralized teleconference scheduling
3) Feeding stories to bloggers
4) Promote Bloggers
5) Access to aides
6) Listen to bloggers
7) Build a relationship with the bloggers

He explains each of these in more detail in the article, and he has a good point. The Left has built an entire network of blogs, journalists, and other new media professionals that are adept at getting out their message. They have cultivated relationships with these people and assisted through the buying of ads and giving of information. The Right is way behind in this regard. They have shied away from the blogosphere, and in some cases are openly hostile. There are far too many on the Right that still resist using Facebook.

Life is changing, and Generations Y and Z don't communicate through traditional mediums. Newspapers and even television are slowly becoming obselete in terms of getting out a message. You can reach far more people for far less money by posting on Twitter and making a You Tube video. As long as the Right remains resistant to this change, they will continue to fail to reach the younger generations.

What I'm Reading Right Now

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-12T18:32:49-05:00

Doing a lot of reading lately...I highly recommend the following:

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms The Way We Live And Do Business by Erik Qualman

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Orders by Samuel P. Huntington

Ron Sparks Wants to Regulate

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-12T10:30:42-05:00

King Cockfight made this video on Ron Sparks and gambling set the Warren G's Regulate. It is a must watch...

Byrne Piling Up The Endorsements

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-10T18:46:06-05:00

In the last few days, Bradley Byrne has gotten a truckload of high profile endorsements. In addition to practically every newspaper in the state, Byrne earned endorsements from Rep. Jo Bonner (CD 1), Rep. Spencer Bachus (CD 6), and Red State's Erick Erickson. Former US Representative Terry Evertt and former ALGOP Chairman Marty Connors also publicly voiced their support for Bradley.

Gov. Riley came out formally for Byrne on Friday, saying he would vote for Byrne, but stopped short of a formal endorsement because he said he didn't want to tell the people of Alabama how to vote.

Senator Jeff Sessions and Representative Mike Rogers have made de facto endorsements of Bradley through letters sent to ALGOP Chairman Mike Hubbard condemning the attempt by AEA to influence the Republican primary.

If Bentley wins this run-off on Tuesday it looks like he's going to have his work cut out for him in trying to reunite conservatives in Alabama...

Red State's Erick Erickson Endorses Bradley Byrne

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-10T18:38:48-05:00

Another huge endorsement for Bradley Byrne. Conservatives continue to pile up on Byrne's side...it's unfortunate that some good conservatives in Alabama don't get it...

Erick Erickson, editor of Red State, says "Byrne for Alabama"

Byrne For Alabama (RedState)
Posted by Erick Erickson (Profile)
Saturday, July 10th at 8:00AM EDT
4 Comments
Alabama voters head to the polls on Tuesday and I haven’t had as much to say about this race as I should.
I’m supporting Bradley Byrne. Unions in Alabama are doing everything in their power to stop him — spending millions on him.
His opponent, Robert Bentley, regularly sided with the Alabama teachers union to stop school reform in Alabama. People always make jokes about the smarts of people from Alabama largely because of how entrenched the school unions are and just how much damage they are doing. Robert Bentley sided with them.
Contrast him with Bradley Byrne who has been fighting the teachers unions for years. He started out a Democrat and moved over time to the GOP. He is conservative. He is pro-life. He is willing to beat up the establishment, fight the unions, and make enemies within the GOP for doing what’s right.
Quin Hillyer has a great review of why Alabama is important and I hope those of you living in the state next to me will go vote for Bradley Byrne on Tuesday.

Alabama Politics: In the News

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-07T10:08:45-05:00

It's a heavy news day today:

From CD 2:

Doc's Political Parlor does a round up of the CD 2 run-off

Martha Roby and Rick Barber have op-eds in today's Montgomery Advertiser

Gubernatorial Race:

Chuck Dean at The Birmingham News covers last night's debate in Springville, AL

Dean also covers Marengo County GOP Chairman's resignation over ties to Paul Hubbert and AEA in today's Birmingham News

J.D. Crowe has an amusing cartoon in today's Press-Register

Martha Roby Getting A Little National Media For A Stellar Fundraising Quarter

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-06T15:15:15-05:00

Politico covers Martha Roby's latest fundraising numbers pointing out that she outraised Rep. Bobby Bright for the first time in this filing period.

Roby Amps Up Fundraising

On another not, Roby is hitting Rep. Bright pretty hard over his failure to sign Rep. Steve King's discharge petition to repeal Obamacare.

Bentley Running A New Facebook Ad Against Riley?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-07-02T12:01:19-05:00

This ad has been appearing on several people's Facebook pages as of late.

Be interesting to know who was running them...

Update on CD2

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-30T20:10:27-05:00

Martha Roby fell just short of avoiding a run-off, garnering 49% in the June 1 primary. She'll run against Rick Barber in the run-off on July 13.

Barber has had some interesting campaign ads lately that have gotten him attention from national media. "Gather Your Armies" and "Slavery" got him on with Chris Matthews and Fox News.

So you'd think he might have gained some momentum right? He hasn't. According to the article below from The Hill, Barber may be learning an important lesson...local media gets you far more votes than national media.

Controversial ads aren't resonating in Alabama, officials say
By Barbra Kim - 06/30/10 06:19 PM ET
An Alabama House candidate's controversial campaign ads that feature conversations with actors playing dead presidents have received national attention but local GOP officials say they've gone virtually unnoticed in the 2nd district.
Several officials told The Ballot Box they didn't even know about businessman Rick Barber's (R) most recent web ad, which equates taxation to slavery and features an actor playing Abraham Lincoln.
"I really don't know what to think, I'm just surprised" to hear about it, said Charlene Erbskorn, chair of the Houston County Republican Party, which sponsored Monday's debate between Barber and rival Martha Roby (R).
Butler County Republican Party chairman Cleveland Poole was one of the few officials contacted by The Ballot Box who'd seen the recent "slavery" web ad.
He said it was overly provocative. "Comparing President Obama's healthcare act to Jewish prison camps or to slavery in the South is taking the comparison too far," Poole said.
Barber also released a minute-long TV ad that features him yelling about being taxed without representation to a group of men dressed as America's founding fathers. The ad closes with an actor dressed as a young George Washington murmuring, "gather your armies." He addressed the controversial ad during an appearance on MSNBC's "Hardball" Wednesday.
Host Chris Matthews asked if he was advocating violence against an elected government. Barber said it was meant as a metaphor -- "gather our political army." Matthews noted that wasn't what the ad actually says and Barber grew agitated. "Chris, do you know what a metaphor is?," he asked.
Moments later Matthews asked Barber if he'd ever been audited (the ad mentions "malicious audits" as a reason for rebellion). "It's irrelevant, I've been audited once," Barber said.
The ad prompted mixed feelings in Alabama Republicans. "I think it's a very different way of looking at things," said Montgomery County GOP chair Pat Wilson. "I think people misunderstand it." She hadn't seen the web ad, but speculated that was because it's directed at a younger, web-savvy audience. Barber said he'd received an overwhelmingly positive response from the district to his ads.
"People are frustrated with what's going on in the government, and they're willing to speak out about it," he said. "It's a bit on the controversial side, but most people resonate with the overall message."
A Roby campaign official said that Barber was pursuing a strategy of national attention and only represented a small number of people in the district.
Roby, backed by the National Republican Congressional Committee, is favored to clinch the nod in the July 13 runoff after taking first place in June primary. The winner faces Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala.) in November. The two Republicans will meet again on Thursday in a debate co-hosted by the Montgomery County Republicans, two other northern counties and several Tea Party groups.

DNC Leads in Technology-Based Political Activism

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-30T16:25:56-05:00

Dan Riehl over at Riehl World View is reporting that the DNC plans to use video tracking of Republicans to try to re-shape the narrative.

On Tuesday, the DNC will debut a new web-based feature that will empower several million Democratic activists to serve as “trackers” of Republican candidates throughout the country. In a move that could add a broad new element of accountability to elections — or simply make the political process even more gaffe-centric — the DNC is encouraging its followers to upload video, mail pieces or audio recordings of GOP officials to a DNC-run site. If carried out as planned, the new online tool could drastically alter the landscape of the 2010 elections, with campaign functions contracted out to hundreds of free volunteers. At a minimum, it is a vivid illustration of the modern-day campaign, where a slip-up by a candidate caught on video could have profound impacts on his or her electoral prospects.
Aides freely admit that the goal is to create another “Macaca moment” — in which former Senator George Allen (R-Va.) famously doomed his reelection hopes by belittling an opposition videographer with a racial slur — or at least to unearth a viral nugget such as those that changed the course of the health care debate at town halls last summer.

Republicans have got to step it up and embrace the power of social media because it's not going away. Democrats are fueling user-created content while Republicans have consultants come up with programs like "You Cut". When will the GOP get it?

BTW-If you doubt the power of social media, check out the stats in this video. Like it or not, it's become a part of the fabric of society...

Dr. Bentley's Voting Record

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-27T11:57:31-05:00

I received this document from a friend today. It has some good info about Dr. Bentley's voting record so I thought I'd share...

Bentley Under Fire For Misrepresenting His Record As A Vietnam Veteran

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-25T14:56:26-05:00

Dr. Bentley has recently come under fire for this ad because it makes it appear that he actually served in Vietnam:

I agree that the ad is misleading. Bentley was actually stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. I've heard from a couple of sources that Dr. Bentley told his media people not to make it look like he was in Vietnam, but that sounds a little like passing the buck. Candidates have final say over what goes in their ads and what doesn't. Bentley saying he told them not to do that doesn't wash with me.

Dr. Bentley and HB 42 (Teacher Tenure Bill)

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-24T12:08:52-05:00

Brian over at Flashpoint blog has the full explanation as to what happened on HB 42.

His conculsion:

The real take away, no matter how poorly the AP reports on the matter, is that Robert Bentley voted in favor of a tenure “reform” bill that directly led to a teacher being paid while sitting in prison. Bradley Byrne fought the bill. It’s really pretty simple.

For the record, I agree with Brian that it was a bad vote. I don't care if every Republican in the legislature voted for it, it was still a bad vote. Dr. Bentley saying it was a 96-0 vote is his version of, "but everyone else was doing it..."

Wonder Which Candidate AEA Supports?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-21T09:55:03-05:00

Thanks to Taylor Nichols for the heads up...

Social Media and Politics: How Many Facebook Fans Translate Into Votes

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-16T18:34:44-05:00

Social media has become a part of most people's everyday life. Facebook now has 400 million active users, and Twitter is at 75 million and growing. According to Facebook, people spend over 500 billion minutes on it's site per month. For many of us, Twitter has become an addiction. Naturally companies, organizations, and candidates are trying to tap into these sites to reach consumers/members/voters. But many companies are also asking, "what is the marketing effectiveness of social media?" This article from Tech Republican sums up the growing concern: How Much Is A Facebook Fan Really Worth?.

Companies like Syncapse and Sentiment 360 are now offering market research services that tell companies what is being said about their brand/products on the web. They try figure out what the overall attitude toward a brand or product is, and also offer social media marketing services to try to change that image. More companies are using these services to find out how much value they are getting out of social media.

In many ways, this applies to politics as well. An increasing number of candidates are trying to harness the power of the internet, specifically social media to build their support. President Obama was able to do this very effectively in 2008. At the rate Facebook and Twitter are growing, this seems like a logical step for many campaigns. However, the question then becomes how much time and money candidates should spend on these efforts? Do Facebook Friends and Twitter followers really turn into votes?

The answer appears to be sometimes. Candidates like Scott Brown (R-MA), Nikki Haley (GOP candidate for Governor in SC), and Marco Rubio (GOP candidate for Senate in FL) have been able to generate enough online to buzz to make them real contenders. Brown beat out long-time Democrat Martha Coakley to take Ted Kennedy's seat in the U.S. Senate--a feat many thought would be impossible in Massachusetts. He used Facebook and Twitter frequently to raise money and get out his message. He started the "Money Bomb" trend which is now being used by many candidates to up their fundraising numbers from around the country instead of just in their state. Nikki Haley, once considered a long-shot candidate, raised her profile when Erick Erickson started writing about her on Red State. Rubio was also a long-shot candidate who was catapulted to stardom through blogs and social networks, again specifically Erickson at Red State. All of these candidates were considered long-shots at the beginning of the campaign, and all of them were able to use the internet to help them build a winning campaign. [Note: There were other forces at work in each of these campaigns that helped these candidates win. I use them as examples because they all ran effective social media campaigns.]

On the other hand, internet enthusiasm doesn't always turn into votes. Perhaps the most popular campaign ad ever came out of Alabama this year. Agriculture Commission candidate Dale Peterson's ad by Ladd Ehlinger, Jr. went viral on You Tube attracting attention from all over the country. He even made Keith Olbermann's "Worst Person in the World" list. Unfortunately for Dale, viral videos didn't turn into votes at the ballot box. Peterson claimed only 28% of the vote, which didn't get him in the runoff. There were some other popular ads from Alabama this cycle...Les Phillip, Young Boozer and Tim James all had adds that got hundreds of thousands of hits on You Tube. Of those, only Boozer won his race.

The bottom line in all this is that you have to know how to use social media in a campaign and how much time to spend doing it. The answers to those questions will vary by the candidate and the district, but all candidates need at least some presence online these days. But they must also keep in mind that popular ads, thousands of friends and followers don't necessarily turn into votes.

Beauty and Brains: Is RWN's "20 Hottest Conservative Women in New Media" List A Bad Thing?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-04T17:03:58-05:00

Much ado has been made about Right Wing News releasing their second annual "Hottest Conservative Women in New Media" list. For example, Newsweek's David Graham comes down hard on conservatives who fail to condemn the sexist rankings while complaining about the left's treatment of Sarah Palin. This article, however, managed to draw my interest. Mediaite's Tommy Christopher makes some valid points about problems with the RWN list.

The list doesn't focus on the intelligence/content of these women's work. Aesthetics seems to be the only consideration. While I have no problem with men appreciating a beautiful woman, I think they do a disservice to these extremely smart, successful women by not point out at least some of their accomplishments.

No matter how enlightened we consider ourselves these days, women still have a large hurdle to overcome in getting men to take them seriously. Things like this don't help. By failing to acknowledge the immense talent and hard work these women have put into their careers, RWN has reduced them to simply a pretty face. That is a true disservice to all of these women.

The Long And Short Of The AG Race

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-03T14:22:30-05:00

Another fabulous political cartoon from the Press-Register's J.D. Crowe:

A Post Mortem On The Primary Elections

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-06-03T08:25:45-05:00

Over the next several days I will be posting a series of guest articles analyzing the elections. I thought I'd start with this one by Alfa's John Pudner:

A Deeper Look At The Election Day Results
by John Pudner

3 thrilling finishes, other exciting runoffs, victims & survivors

1. The most exciting 3 races

GOP Governor for 2nd place and runoff - Robert Bentley 123,321 to Tim James 123,181 (still about 100 boxes left, so Beth Chapman is a genius again! Bradley Byrne is in the runoff at 137,093) - in our polling Bentley had gone from 9% to 20% by last week, so the surge continued, while James had slid from 31% to 25%). As stated, we polled Sparks pulling ahead last week and didn't believe it. So it's a playoff - Bentley vs. James to see who races Byrne, with the winner of that getting Sparks.

HD73 - GOP - David Grimes withstands a ton of money and attacks to hold his seat against Jeremy Walker 2,963 to 2,885

SD5 - GOP - Greg Reed withstands some late money to hold on against Thad Turnipseed 7,966 to 7,873

2. The exciting runoffs

Agriculture Commissioner - John McMillan 150,437 vs. Dorman Grace 144,747 - Dale Peterson fell 28,000 votes short of the runoff with 116,541. McMillan led the other two 33% to 17% to 17% in early May before Peterson hit 1.4 million internet users and then the TV audience with his commercial attacking Dorman Grace as a "dummy," but undecided voters responded by breaking heavily toward Grace as he more than doubled his vote to 35% while Peterson added only 11% from undecideds while attacking.

SD9 - Clay Scofield came from single digits a couple of months ago to passed everyone to finish 1st place with 6,531 for 32%, followed by Don Spurlin with 5,651 votes for second place 28%.

3. Other runoffs feature front-runners that just missed 50%

Five other runoffs we were tracking involve one candidate with between 47% and 50% starting out with a big lead. Those races include Giles Perkins trying to overcome James Anderson's lead for Democratic Attorney General, Sue Helms trying to overcome Mary Scott Hunter's lead for GOP Board of Edcuation District 8, Johnny Ford trying to overcome Billy Beasley's big lead in SD28, John McGowan trying to overcome Barry Forte's big lead for Democrat in HD84 and Claire Mitchell trying to overcome Lawrence McAdory's lead in HD 56.

4. Incumbents we tracked facing hard-hitting attacks (6 victims, 11 survivors)

With challengers emboldened this year to ride voter anger to go after incumbents, there were 17 races we were really monitoring due to hard-hitting challenges:

VICTIMS (6)

Charles Bishop - actually a sitting State Senator who was hurt by being viewed as the incumbent when he moved down to run for the House. We polled him behind two weeks ago, and he came out a narrow loser.

Steve French - we polled him ahead two weeks ago, but the attack was withering the final two weeks.

Mac Gipson - we also already had him behind two weeks ago.

Pat Moore - she had a very narrow lead a month ago, but not enough to hold up.

Yusuf Salaam - we polled him down three points and that proved right at 48% to 52%.

James Thomas - David Colston pulled off an unbelievable feat by winning without a runoff despite taking on an incumbent AND three other challengers.

SURVIVORS (11)

Scott Beason - survived a withering attack to win fairly handily.

Vivian Figures - a very lopsided win.

Blaine Galliher - lopsided win.

David Grimes - mentioned above - survived a ton of money being spent to attack him the final couple of weeks for a big win.

Ralph Howard - the 34 precincts in Bibb, Marengo and Perry broke almost exactly even, but they love Ralph in Marengo County, where the 18 precincts gave him a 2,456 to 784 victory.

Thomas E. "Action" Jackson - had to survive his opponents finding another Thomas Jackson to run against him, but survived.

Richard Laird - Topped 60% despite being attacked frequently.

Thad McClammy - lopsided win.

Johnny MacMorrow - easy winner.

Howard Sanderford - won without a runoff despite two challengers.

Pebblin Warren - won 2-to-1 despite a strong presence by her opponent at the polls.

This probably indicates a larger number of incumbents losing than in most years, BUT even in the hotly contested races the incumbents still won most of the races - and of course many other incumbents had easy wins.

Musings from Maytown Endorsements

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-31T13:00:09-05:00

Pastor John Killian has a list of candidates he plans to vote for up on his site Musings from Maytown. Even though we don't agree on all the races, I encourage everyone to check out what he has to say.

Flashpoint's Primary Ballot

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-30T19:02:29-05:00

Brian LeCompte has his primary ballot up over at Flashpoint blog. I think it's a pretty good list.

Interesting debate over Dale Peterson in the comments portion...

Troy King Gets Fake Endorsement?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-30T18:40:38-05:00

A group calling themselves "Tea Party of Alabama" sent out an email blast today endorsing Troy King for Alabama Attorney General.

Get the scoop on the group and the endorsement over at Doc's.

This is just pathetic. Does Troy King not have any real supporters? Does he really have to stoop to making up fake endorsements?

Just another reason to vote for Luther Strange on Tuesday....

Martha Roby Gets Montgomery Advertiser Endorsement

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-26T12:39:31-05:00

AL-CD2 candidate Martha Roby picked up an endorsement from the Montgomery Advertiser today.

Here's what they had to say:

Four Republican candidates are seeking their party's nomination for the right to face Democratic incumbent Congressman Bobby Bright in the November general election.Of the four, Montgomery City Council member Martha Roby appears to have the best combination of experience and insight into the issues facing the residents of U.S. House District 2.Roby has served on the Montgomery City Council since 2003, where she has ably represented a racially and economically diverse council district. Roby earned her law degree from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in 2001, and practiced law for several years.She has been a strong community volunteer, having worked with Sav-A-Life Montgomery, the Cleveland Avenue YMCA, the Britton YMCA, the Montgomery Area Business Committee for the Arts and the Montgomery Weed and Seed executive board.The other woman in the race, State Board of Education member Stephanie Bell of Montgomery, also has ably served the people of the area in public office for many years. As a state board member, Bell spoke out early and often about the corruption that tainted the state's two-year college system for so many years. But Roby's experience in office is more varied than Bell's, which has focused on the education arena.Based on her service as a city council member, her grasp of the issues facing the district, and her strong work ethic, the Montgomery Advertiser recommends Roby to Republican voters in the District 2 congressional race.

New Les Phillip Ad Getting Rave Reviews

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-25T11:50:49-05:00

CD5 candidate Les Phillip's new ad is making waves nationally--the good kind. Coverage on Andrew Breitbart's site and by the Washington Post has drawn praise from conservatives across the country.

Here's the ad:

Draft Of Luther Strange Email Sparks Questions For Troy King

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-24T15:06:12-05:00

This draft email from the Luther Strange campaign suggests Troy King has been using state cars while on the campaign trail.

It says, "[***J-let me know when you get the footage of PK traveling in state car with TK to Beasley mtg. Will hold on this until we get final]

This correlates with earlier information I had received regarding King's use of state resources for campaign-related activities.

It will be interesting to see if anyone is investigating this, and if not, why not? The law is very clear on the issue.

More On The Race For Attorney General

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-24T13:43:19-05:00

Lots of news about the Republican primary for Attorney General today.

The Opelika-Auburn News says it's Time For A Change In The Attorney General's Office

It’s time for a change in the Alabama Attorney General’s office. Troy King, appointed six years ago by Gov. Bob Riley, has been at odds with the Republican Party and, of late, has been a divisive figure in Alabama politics. His handling of the controversial electronic bingo argument has been questionable at best.He was even investigated by a grand jury.Is this what Alabama citizens want as the state’s top law enforcer? We think not.Luther Strange, a Birmingham attorney, says he wants to do the unfulfilled job King was appointed to do.“Never in the history of Alabama has the governor had to create a task force to do the attorney general’s job,” he said.“I think we’ve got and have had a law enforcement crisis in this state due entirely to his failure to take action. This wasn’t an issue until Troy King came into office. To come along at the 11th hour and take over the task force, he’s just thrown it into more chaos.”It’s time Alabama had an attorney general in office, not a politician.

The Gadsden Times has a pretty harsh editorial on Troy King: Our View: Crushing Defeat For King

The Alabama Supreme Court dealt Attorney General Troy King a severe defeat Friday while reinforcing the strength of the executive branch of state government. Legal battles over electronic bingo will likely continue for some time, but for now a definitive ruling has been issued: Governor outranks attorney general.The state’s high court was less than kind to King in its opinion Friday. He had contended that the attorney general was the state’s top law enforcement officer and that he should have control of any investigations into electronic bingo operations.While Gov. Bob Riley had used his Task Force on Illegal Gambling to shut down electronic bingo halls, King said he would seek court rulings in local jurisdictions. His play was backed by Jefferson County Circuit Judge Robert Vance, who ruled that King had authority over the task force.Riley appealed to the high court and won. In overruling Vance, justices said they relied on the “simple notion” that the governor sits at the top of the state’s constitutional hierarchy. As far as King’s contention that he should be able to commandeer leadership of the task force, the court was direct: “We reject that argument.”The justices came very close to accusing King of dereliction of duty. The justices said criminal laws regarding gambling have gone unenforced in some areas. Without action by Riley, they wrote, “the law would continue to go unenforced in those counties during Attorney General King’s tenure.”King did not comment last week, but Riley did. “This is a clear, complete and total victory for the rule of law,” he said.He added, “This ruling should put the nail in the coffin for so-called electronic bingo in this state.”Riley may be right, but we won’t bet on this being the end of the legal battles over gambling.Electronic bingo has gained a foothold in the state, however tenuous, and because big money is at stake we anticipate more legal battles, even before Riley leaves office in January.The big loser Friday, though, was King. Just more than a week away from the Republican primary election, the court’s ruling can’t help his campaign.

Birmingham News Endorses Luther Strange

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-24T08:33:06-05:00

The Birmingham News endorsed Luther Strange today. Here's what they had to say about Big Luther:

OUR VIEW: Luther Strange is by far the best Republican candidate for Alabama's attorney general, and Michel Nicrosi is our pick of the three solid Democratic choices
By Birmingham News editorial board
May 24, 2010, 5:46AM

Give Troy King credit for this: He has presented a strong case for why Alabamians need to choose carefully when they're picking their top lawyer.

As attorney general, King leaves a lot to be desired. Between seeking and accepting favors and perks, he has compromised his abilities to perform some of the most important duties of his office, such as investigating public corruption.

King sought a job for a friend from one of the chief targets in the two-year college investigation -- which, by the way, involved allegations of handing out jobs as political favors. What was he thinking?

Perhaps even worse were King's actions involving electronic bingo. He was a banner guest at a party thrown by Country Crossing developer Ronnie Gilley, then issued an opinion clearing the way for a dubious bingo enterprise there. King's actions, in our view, helped foster the spread of electronic bingo in the state, and they ended up being the focus of a federal investigation.

The big question is why King thinks voters should re-elect him. Fortunately, Alabama voters have alternatives in the June 1 primaries, both from King's Republican Party and on the Democratic side as well.

Another Reason To Be Proud Of Jeff Sessions

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-24T08:22:01-05:00

Alabama has a lot to be proud of -- Sen. Jeff Sessions is one of the best men in Congress. Here's another example of why:

Jeff Sessions to Head of Immigration--Do Your Job.

Martha Roby Gets Wetumpka Herald Endorsement

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-22T12:50:07-05:00

Yesterday, The Wetumpka Herald endorsed CD-2 GOP candidate Matha Roby. Here's the link to the full article.

From The Wetumpka Herald:

Having a similar theme to Sen. Shelby about less government, and conservative values, Montgomery City Councilwoman Martha Roby is our pick for the Republican nomination in the Second District. She makes no bones about the fact that Washington has fallen into the wrong hands, and her first act will be to vote against the re-election of Nancy Pelosi of California as House Speaker. “I will go to Congress and work to increase transparency and accountability. I have a proven record on the Montgomery City Council of fighting tax increases and standing up against wasteful spending, and I'll do just that in Washington. However, my first vote will be to take the gavel away from Nancy Pelosi, so we can restore conservative leadership in Washington.” We agree with Roby that Congress has done too many things behind closed doors and the public’s right has been shut out. Washington is being misdirected in leadership. Voters need to recognize that poor leadership hurts the country. The Herald endorses Martha Roby

Coming Soon: RNC To Unveil A New Activism API

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-19T18:55:12-05:00

Republicans are slowly, but surely gaining steam in the internet activism sector. They got caught a little flat-footed in 2008, but no more. The RNC is set to unveil a new API that allows developers to create apps that award points for internet activism.

Caleb Howe has the low down on the new API here.

It's so refreshing to see the GOP on the front side of technology for a change. Republican legislators figured out quickly the value of Twitter and now dominate Twitter usage on capitol hill. The RNC has been a little slower to recognize the value of on-line activism and social media. It's really good to see that they are now on the right track...

Republican Senator Refutes Slade Blackwell's Ads Against Steve French

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-19T17:07:17-05:00

This letter was sent by Alabama Senator Jabo Waggoner to SD-15 candidate Slade Blackwell. Blackwell has an ad running against Steve French that claims French voted for a 50% pay raise for former Birmingham mayor turn felon Larry Langford.

Clearly Slade is not telling the truth about the pay raise, but what about the rest of the ad? It seems that's not exactly true either. While French's insurance company did have a contract with the county, that contract was voted on by the entire Jeff Co Commission and it was a unanimous vote to approve. Most politicos know the relationship between Steve French and Bettye Fine Collins is pretty icy to say the least, and Collins was the commissioner who moved for approval. In addition, French states he did not receive compensation of any type on the deal. The county simply chose a better business deal--more protection for less money.

There was a time when the news media would have vetted these claims, but apparently that time is long gone.

Can Twitter Be Legally Compelled To Turn Over Your Account Info?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-19T12:20:29-05:00

Interesting case regarding Twitter and privacy issues. Tom Corbett, Pennsylvania Attorney General and current Gubernatorial candidate, has issued a subpoena to Twitter asking them to provide any and all subscriber information about two Twitter accounts. Apparently @bfbarbie and @CasaBlancaPA have been criticizing Corbett on a personal blog and on Twitter. The subpoena requires Twitter to "testify and give evidence regarding alleged violation of the laws of Pennsylvania."

This case could set an important legal precedent regarding a person's ability to criticize elected officials anonymously. Clearly the speech itself is protected by the 1st Amendment, but the question of anonymity is more complex. Courts have ruled consistently that the right to anonymous free speech is protected by the 1st Amendment. In McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission the U.S. Supreme Court stated

"Protections for anonymous speech are vital to democratic discourse. Allowing dissenters to shield their identities frees them to express critical, minority views . . . Anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority. . . . It thus exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights, and of the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation . . . at the hand of an intolerant society."

However, subpoena's have been issued and upheld in court cases where an injured plaintiff's need to identify the speaker outwieghs the speaker's 1st Amendment rights to free, anonymous speech. A good explaination of the law on the issue can be found here.

With widespread use of the Internet and Social Networking sites, privacy is becoming an increasingly difficult issue. It will be interesting to see how the court rules in this case because most of the comments alleging violations of the law were made on the person's blog, and not on Twitter. Blogger (Google's blogging tool) had not been subpoenaed at the time the article was written.

New United Liberty Podcast

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-19T11:05:08-05:00

I recently recorded another United Liberty podcast with Brett Bittner, Jason Pye and former ALGOP chairman Marty Connors. It was, as always, a good time. Thanks to the guys at United Liberty for asking me to participate!

You can listen to the podcast by clicking on the link below.

Podcast

Martha Roby On Air In CD2

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-18T16:32:45-05:00

The first tv ad from Martha Roby was released today:

A lot of criticism on Doc's Political Parlor, but overall, I don't think it's a bad ad. Especially since Roby is the only candidate in CD2 with the money for television ads.

Million Dollar Ad Buy Mystery Solved

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-18T14:46:01-05:00

Well the mystery of the million dollar ad buy has finally been solved. In a somewhat anti-climatic end to a much anticipated ad, the New Sons of Liberty launched this website with their new TV ad.

The person(s) behind the ad are still unknown, but at first glance it appears to be a waste of a million dollars. With the exception of Bill Johnson, all the Republican gubernatorial candidates are against gambling. I haven't seen a poll yet that shows Johnson with a shot at winning, so the ad doesn't seem to be particularly helpful/hurtful on the Republican side. It could be targeting the Democrats, but I can't really see this ad swaying many Democrat primary voters.

Even more puzzling is the timing of the ad. Why run it now? Gambling is not on the ballot in June or November, and for all intents and purposes it is a dead issue until the 2011 Legislative Session. I can't quite figure out what purpose it serves to run the ad now.

Whoever is behind it and whatever their motives are, one thing is pretty clear...the ad is a major let down to politicos who have spent the last week or more speculating on what it could be.

Summary of 2010 Legislative Session

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-17T15:09:39-05:00

What Passed?

-HB 432 Human Trafficking Legislation (Rep. Jack Williams): It is now unlawful for a person by coercion or deception, to cause another person (individual) to work or perform services having financial value or require that person to perform certain sexual activities and this law provides appropriate penalties for these actions. Alabama's passage of this ban on human trafficking has added Alabama to the 43 states that have already passed a ban on human trafficking exploitation.

-HB 613 Jefferson County Transparency Legislation (Rep. Paul DeMarco): requires the Jefferson County Commissioner to disclose anyone paid to assist in the purchase or swap of bonds and all interest rate swaps will be competitively bid. The Commission will also have to conduct a public hearing before borrowing any amount of $5 million or more

-SB 121 Highway Bill (Sen. Lowell Barron): authorizes the transfer of $100 million a year for the next 10 years from the Alabama Trust Fund to the Department of Transportation for infrastructure projects

-SB 162 “PACT Fix” Legislation (Sen. Ted Little): appropriates $547.6 million over 13 years to the PACT program. It also caps tuition at state universities excepting the University of Alabama and Auburn University

- SJR 27/HJR 18 State Sovereignty Resolution (Sen. Scott Beason/Rep. Greg Canfield): Reaffirming state sovereignty under the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution

What Didn’t Pass?

-HB 99 Rolling Reserve Budget Act (Rep. Greg Canfield): Didn’t even get a vote in committee.

-SB 233 Alabama Health Freedom Act (Sen. Scott Beason): Conservative and tea party groups rallied around this legislation eventually getting it passed out of the Senate. Unfortunately, Democrat leadership in the House prevented it from getting a vote in committee.

-SB 202 Alabama Innovative Charter Schools Act (Sen. Steve French): Was voted down in committee in the House and didn’t receive a committee vote in the Senate

-HB 55 Subpoena Power For State Ethics Committee: legislation stalled in the House

-HB 278 Improvements to Alabama Ethics Law (Rep. Paul DeMarco): legislation stalled in the House

-HB 41 Health Care Rights of Conscience Act (Rep. Robert Bentley): didn’t get out of committee in the House

-HB 48 Firearms Protection Act (Rep. Mac Gipson): didn’t get out of committee in the House

-HB 195 Cap and Trade Nullification (Rep. Mac Gipson): didn’t get out of committee in the House

-SB 380 Gambling Legislation (Sen. Roger Bedford): passed out of the Senate, but didn’t get out of committee in the House

-HB 101 Medical Savings Account Act (Rep. Greg Canfield): didn’t get out of committee in the House

-SB 256 Alabama Taxpayer and Citizen Protection Act (Sen. Scott Beason): legislation to address the problem of illegal immigration; didn’t get out of committee in the Senate

Luther Strange On The New Sons Of Liberty Ad Buy

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-14T13:49:33-05:00

Today's Press Release from the Luther Strange campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 14, 2010
Contact: Jessica Garrison, Campaign Manager 205-568-4371

http://www.lutherstrange.com/clean-up-alabama

Million Dollar Mystery Ads Bring Pledge, Challenge from Luther Strange

BIRMINGHAM, Ala-- As a phantom political group makes plans to flood Alabama airwaves with more than one million dollars of television advertising, Republican candidate for attorney general, Luther Strange is calling on candidates and voters to take a public stand against this outside special interest group's influence on state elections.

"When wealthy special interests hide behind stealth groups to sway our elections, they are hurting honest Alabama voters and good candidates," Strange said. "Alabama needs transparency in state elections. The person or group actually funding these ads should make clear who they are and what their agenda really is."

"Any candidate that would benefit from one of these groups should disavow the ads and demand they be pulled from the airwaves. I pledge to do so and challenge every other statewide candidate in both parties to join me."

A new political organization founded only days ago using the name New Sons of Liberty is currently placing more than one million dollars in television advertising which will reach every corner of Alabama. The subject of their ad campaign remains a public mystery, but their commercials are slated to begin May 21 and run up to the June 1 primary. The group was only incorporated two weeks ago and no one has come forward to put an actual face or even a real location behind the organization.

"We have already seen the lies and deception spread when candidates and special interests team up," Strange said. "Troy King and his gambling buddies were first to try for cheap political points by politicizing the Gulf oil spill and airing their lies on television. Now it looks like another special interest will try to buy off another candidate."

Strange has set up a website where he's asking candidates and voters to join in his pledge not to benefit from manipulative special interests and to keep them out of Alabama elections.

"As attorney general, I'll fight to force stealth money and fake interests groups out of the closet so voters can make informed decisions about not just the message, but the messenger." Strange added. "My fight starts right now with this pledge."

To join the fight for transparent elections and to say no to outside special interest groups, visit and sign the petition at www.lutherstrange.com/clean-up-alabama, where you can learn more about Big Luther's fight for honesty and integrity in state government.

###

Looks like Big Luther isn't taking any chances that the ad buy could target him in favor of Troy King. There's a lot of speculation that the group is a front for gambling interests who want to see Troy stay in office.

New Luther Strange Ad Attacks Troy King on Corruption

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-14T13:39:28-05:00

The Luther Strange campaign released a new ad today attacking Troy King on his problems with corruption, and responding to Troy's attempt to connect Big Luther to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Conservatives Want To Help People Too

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-14T11:23:02-05:00

It's a widespread misconception that conservatives are cold-hearted people. To hear liberals tell it, you'd think we have no problem letting the poor starve to death on the streets. But that's not true. Conservatives want to help people who have fallen on hard times just as much as liberals. The disagreement comes over *how* to help them.

This is a great article from United Liberty that explains the difference between Liberal and Conservative charity.

Chris Christie Is a Rockstar

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-14T10:41:30-05:00

NJ Gov. Chris Christie is proving to be a rockstar. I know there were a lot of conservatives who weren't enthusiastic about him in the beginning, but so far he been a hero. If he keeps saying things like this, he may be a major contender in the future of the GOP.

For those of you who wanted more than the previous overview, here is more of a race-by-race breakdown of the ones we are following:

Gov Christie calls S-L columnist thin-skinned for inquiring about his 'confrontational tone'

Who Are The New Sons of Liberty?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-13T10:01:30-05:00

Politicos in Alabama are all abuzz about a reported $1.1 million dollar ad buy from a group calling themselves the New Sons of Liberty. George Talbot of the Mobile Press-Register sums up what we know here. If you google the New Sons of Liberty you come up with a birther-style organization that is working towards a constitutional amendment requiring presidential candidates to submit an original birth certificate after receiving their party's nomination. That organization claims they are not in any way involved in the Alabama ad buy.

Another interesting thing to note is the fact that the group is organized as a 501(c)4-meaning they cannot endorse a candidate. There are ways to advocate for or against a candidate with a 501(c)4 but it's a lot harder than if they had formed a PAC.

The speculation is rampant. Who has that kind of money in Alabama? AEA? Gambling Interests? Stan Pate? Or it could be someone from out of state trying to meddle in our election. I've heard it's an attack ad on Tim James. I've heard it's an ad aimed at helping Roy Moore. I've heard it's another anti-Byrne ad from AEA.

The bottom line is that nobody knows who is behind it or what the ad might say. According to sources the TV stations don't even have the ad yet. All we do know is that there's a huge surprise coming in the week before the election that could seriously impact the primary vote.

For now all we have is a lot of questions and no answers...

Sen. Jeff Sessions Endorses John McMillian for Agriculture Commissioner

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-10T18:31:54-05:00

Just got word that Sen. Jeff Sessions has endorsed John McMillian for Commissioner of Agriculture. John is a great man--I'm pleased that he's gotten Sen. Sessions' endorsement. Here's the quote:

Senator Jeff Sessions

Pagent Queens or Porn Stars?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-10T08:33:15-05:00

I'm no prude, but when I saw the official photos from the Miss USA pagent I felt a little sick. While I was never a beauty pagent girl, I had friends that were so I've been to a lot of pagents large and small. It used to be a tasteful, if somewhat superficial, affair. It was about more than just which girl was the prettiest. Contestants had to be smart, well spoken and well-rounded individuals--most of whom were competing for the scholarship money awarded to the winner. Now, however, it looks like pagents are all about sex. The Miss USA pagent has taken some heat for these photos and rightly so. These girls look more like they're auditioning to be porn stars than pagent queens...

And lest we forget, Miss Alabama:

Pagents have certainly changed a lot over the last few years. It's sad that we've moved away from beaded evening gowns and one-piece swimsuits to skimpy lingere. I guess the old adage is correct--sex sells. I know if I was a young girl I'd think twice about getting on the pagent circuit no matter how much scholarship money they gave me...

Update on the Attorney General Race

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-07T13:26:23-05:00

I feel I should disclose my bias in this matter up front: I have openly supported Luther Strange in his campaign for Attorney General for several months now. I am not paid by the campaign or anyone connected with it. I did participate in a television ad for the Luther Strange campaign.

It looks like the Alabama Attorney General's race is about to get a lot more interesting.

Incumbent Troy King took political pandering to a new low last week with his claim that Luther Strange lobbied for the oil company whose rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. In Friday's Press-Register, a spokesman for King said, "that Strange's ties to the oil industry and particularly to Transocean could compromise his ability to serve as the state's top lawyer."

It's ironic that King would be accusing Luther Strange of having a conflict of interest when he has had to step aside and let the Feds conduct two major investigations that the AG's office should have been involved in but couldn't because of King's ties to targets of the investigation. While investigating the junior college scandal King asked Chancellor Roy Johnson for jobs for at least two of his friends. He then had to turn the investigation over to Richard Minor, District Attorney from St. Clair County. In addition, the FBI is handling one of the largest investigations into government corruption the state has ever seen, and where is the AG's office? Not involved. Troy King's ties to the gambling interests has caused a conflict of interest for the AG's office. So you'll have to pardon me if I don't take King's accusation seriously...

It's true that Luther Strange lobbied for Sonat, Inc. which was the parent company of Transocean Offshore Drilling Co. In a statement released Friday he says, "I briefly represented Transocean Offshore Drilling Co. 12 years ago and provided only federal legislative monitoring. Furthermore, it is in no way the same company that it is today. In fact, it has been reincorporated twice through mergers in the past 10 years and my work for them 12 years ago has absolutely no bearing on my intent to pursue all those responsible for the tragedy." In my opinion King is clearly trying to take a bad situation which people are understandably upset about, and use it for his own benefit.

Furthermore, I'm hearing rumors that the AG's office has some scandals of it's own to worry about. Questions are being asked about Troy's assistant JW Godwin and his campaign activities while on the state's payroll. Last Thursday AG Troy King and JW Godwin traveled together in a state car to a campaign event in Huntsville, AL. Pictures taken by the Luther Strange campaign show the state car and the campaign materials they brought with them. When the Strange campaign questioned the AG's office about whether or not JW Godwin had taken leave time to participate in campaign activities, Chief of Staff Chris Bence confirmed that as of 3:00 pm on the day of the event Godwin had not filed a leave slip. The leave slip was filed when Godwin returned (one might infer that was because he was asked about it by the Strange campaign). A member of Luther's campaign staff was told it was consistent with the AG's policy on leave not to file the leave slip until after the leave has been taken.

I feel I should also point out that in addition to his duties in the AG's office, JW Godwin was sent to campaign school, has an iPad purchased by the campaign, and has campaign stationary with his name on it. Clearly Godwin is taking an active role in King's campaign which legally, he has every right to do. What he cannot do is campaign while on state time. The Alabama Code is pretty clear on that point:

Section 17-17-5: Improper use of state property, time, etc., for political activities
No person in the employment of the State of Alabama, a county, or a city whether classified or unclassified, shall use any state, county, or city funds, property, or time, for any political activities. Any person who is in the employment of the State of Alabama, a county, or a city shall be on approved leave to engage in political action or the person shall be on personal time before or after work and on holidays. It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee to solicit any type of political campaign contributions from other employees who work for the officer or employee in a subordinate capacity. It shall also be unlawful for any officer or employee to coerce or attempt to coerce any subordinate employee to work in any capacity in any political campaign or cause. Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of the crime of trading in public office and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined or sentenced, or both, as provided by Section 13A-10-63.

It's also pretty clear on using state resources, i.e.-vehicles, for campaign activities:

Section 36-12-61: Use, etc., of state-owned property for promotion or advancement of interests of candidates for public office.
It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the State of Alabama to use or to permit to be used any state-owned property of any character or description, including stationery, stamps, office equipment, office supplies, automobiles or any other property used by him, in his custody or under his control for the promotion or advancement of the interest of any candidate for the nomination or election to any public office of the State of Alabama.

As I said at the top of this post, I am unarguably biased in this race. In writing this post, I'm simply putting the information out there (along with my opinion of course) and I'll leave it to readers to decide whether they think any of the items have any merit.

Rep. David Grimes Sounds A Little Nervous

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-06T16:46:44-05:00

Rep. David Grimes sounds a little worried about the FBI investigation into government corruption and the gambling bill...

It seems to me that if you didn't say anything you shouldn't have you wouldn't be worried about what you said...

Tim James, English-Only and Economic Development

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-06T11:43:55-05:00

Whether you agree with Tim James or not...
J.D. Crowe makes a good point in today's Press-Register:

Setting Alabama back about 20 years doesn't make much business sense to me.

(Wait a minute. Looking down at my notes ... )

Does it to you?

Also check out today's editorial in the Press-Register.

I'm interested to know what other people think about the ad. I'm sure most Alabamians would instinctively agree with the ad--to borrow a phrase from Tim, it's common sense. However, I think one can make the argument that there are better ways to address the problem of assimilation than this particular piece of legislation.

In my opinion, the problem isn't really a language problem, it's an immigration problem. A large number of immigrants who come here are not making the effort to assimilate into American culture.

Do Women Have The Right To Control Their Own Bodies?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-05T14:56:53-05:00

Tessa Rose makes a really good point on her blog about women's rights and the so-called "pro-choice" crowd. I would take her argument a step further and say that same hypocrisy applies to both women and men. Statist Liberals always support the right to choose...except when it's a choice they don't like. For instance, you can choose what to eat...but only if you choose not to eat salt, trans fat, sugary sodas, or fast food.
Even in regard to the abortion argument where they claim to be "pro-choice" the choice only applies when women choose to have an abortion. This became abudantly clear when Sarah Palin came on the scene and was derided for her choice to keep her down's syndrome baby.
Tessa seems to accept the conclusion that life begins after the first trimester, but I know many libertarians who believe that life begins at conception. Most of those people would support a woman's right to choose in all of the situations Tessa mentioned except in the case of abortion.
I do think Tessa makes a good point about intellectual honesty in her post, but I'd like to argue on one particular point. She says:

"If a woman's body belongs to her, then she has the right to exchange sexual favors for money..."

While she may be right that a woman should have a right to do this in a vaccum, it doesn't necessarily follow that prostitution should be legal. A woman's right to sell her body has to be weighed against other considerations, and there may be other legitimate reasons for laws against prostitution. Thus, a person can accept that woman's right to control her own body means that she should be allowed to sell her body in theory, but have other reasons for being against prostitution.

Anyone else have thoughts on Tessa's post?

Bradley Byrne endorsed by Right On Huntsville

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-03T15:48:47-05:00

Right On Huntsville endorsed Bradley Byrne today:

Heres a summary of Byrne’s prepared remarks:
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to receive the support of these conservative leaders. Right On Huntsville has quickly emerged as a leading force in pushing for conservative economic growth and strong government accountability, two hallmarks of my campaign. If given the opportunity to serve as your next Governor, I will work hard to build and maintain an environment that fosters a robust economy and we will – once and for all – implement reforms in Montgomery that bring about strong government accountability and restore public trust in our system”.

New Luther Strange Press Release

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-03T14:05:12-05:00

From the Luther Strange campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2010
Contact: Jessica Garrison, Campaign Manager 205-568-4371 www.lutherstrange.com/troy-king-gambling-money-trail

Troy King Holds Massey Money as Grand Jury Meets

BIRMINGHAM, Ala-- As a federal grand jury starts to hear evidence this week in the bingo bill vote-buying scandal, Alabama Attorney General Troy King continues funding his reelection campaign with thousands of dollars in contributions from Country Crossing lobbyist Jarrod Massey who is at the center of the government's corruption case.

"King owes the people of Alabama an explanation about why he continues to hold onto money funneled through political action committees tied to Massey," said Republican candidate for attorney general, Luther Strange.

"Likewise, King owes us an answer about why he, as the Attorney General, is not participating in the investigation centered on Massey and the Alabama State Legislature. Is it because King is compromised and unable to participate due to his personal relationships with those involved? It would not be the first time. In fact, it has been a pattern for King to step aside from public corruption cases like the two year college investigation, because he is personally connected to the people involved. In Massey's case, King had the chance to avoid being wrapped up in the scandal."

In February, King made a public pledge to return campaign contributions from gambling interests, including PACS which accepted gambling funds. To this date, King has not returned $100 thousand that was donated to his campaign through Massey's business and PACs.

Since March, Strange has been calling on King to uphold his pledge and return gambling money. Last week, Strange delivered a letter to King's office, renewing his call and asking for an explanation about King's ties to Massey.

"The money trail is clear. It's all shown in public records," Strange said. "Even if he can't trace it dollar-for-dollar, King promised to return money from PACS that accepted any funds from gambling interests. His pledge was bold and he should honor that promise."

A copy of Strange's letter to King is attached to this email message. The letter, along with public records of King's campaign contributions and charts detailing the trail of donations from Massey to King, are all available by visiting www.lutherstrange.com/troy-king-gambling-money-trail.

###

Where Would You Put Your Chips

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-05-01T13:29:17-05:00

This post on Pileus got me thinking about what country has the best outlook for the future.

The question posed by Jim Otteson is this:

Suppose all the countries in the world today are arrayed before you like spaces on a craps table. You have to put all your chips on one country. The time horizon is your life span, plus that of your children, plus that of your grandchildren. Allowing reasonable overlap and life expectancy, let’s suppose that horizon is 100 years. So: if you have to put all your chips in a single bet on one country’s success from 2010–2110, which country do you choose?

A few years ago I would have said Ireland because of their reduction in corporate income tax, GDP per capita, quality of life, ranking on the Economic Freedom Index and overall culture. However, the current financial crisis has hit it much harder than other countries. The “Irish Property Bubble” and overall level of debt makes me leery.

Australia would probably be my second choice because it has the lowest percentage of debt as a proportion of GDP and the overall level of taxation seems to be decreasing. Drawbacks are it’s cap on carbon emissions and high cost of housing.

With that said, I don’t know if there’s anywhere particularly “safe” to bet on in the current geopolitical climate…

Where would you choose to put your chips?

Tammy

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-30T21:45:54-05:00

There's not much I can say about this one:

Tammy

A Critique of Capitalism

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-26T14:14:17-05:00

I just read this article by Dmytri Kleiner who argues a free market is not possible under capitalism. Before I post my response, I want to hear what others think.

“Capitalism depends on the appropriation of value for its subsistence and growth. The disingenuous rhetoric of the “Free Market” is a smoke screen to justify a system of privilege and exploitation, better called the “Casino Market,” there are certainly some conspicuous winners, but the odds always favour the house. Any organised attempt to beat the odds will be excluded, perhaps violently. In a genuine free market, competition among producers would reduce the price of everything to the lowest level that it can be produced for. If everything truly traded in a perfect “market,” then land and capital, like labour would never be able to earn any more than the cost of providing it. There could be no class that is exempt from working as there would be no income to sustain such a class. For a Capitalist class to exist, the market must be rigged, and all markets are. Capitalism must increase the price of Capital by withholding it from labour. In reality, the “free market” is what property owners want to impose on workers, while retaining their own privileges. Capital needs to make the price of labour low enough to prevent workers, as a class, from being able to retain enough of their own earnings to acquire their own property. If workers could acquire their own property, they could also stop selling their labour to the capitalists. Capitalism could not exist in a free market. The whole idea of the “free market” is part of the mythology of capitalism, is not possible within capitalism and just as unlikely to exist without it. “Free” from the coercion of profit-seeking Capitalists, producers would produce for social value, not for profits, as they do in their private and family lives, and as they have in non-capitalist communities. This is not to say that a free society would not have competition or that it’s members would not seek to benefit from their own labour, the division of labour required in a complex society implies exchange and reciprocity. However the metaphor of “the market” as it is currently used would no longer dominate. The “Market Economy” is by definition a surveillance economy, where contributions to production and consumption must be measured in minute detail, it is an economy of accountants and security guards. The need to account value exchange in tiny and reductive lists of individually priced transactions must be superseded by more fluid and generalized forms of exchange. The motive to maximize profit from ownership, so often the driving force behind irrational and destructive production, would give way to much stronger motive, doing work that has direct benefits for our lives and our society, production that fulfills our real world needs and desires. Without the need to measure our consumption and production to appease the imposers of capitalist control, workers in a free society may not bother producing exclusively for exchange within a “Market Economy,” they may more often produce what they want and what their community needs and share based on mutual respect. This type of economy does not resemble a “market.” A market is not a free space. Control of the physical location of the market has always been the domain of hierarchy and authority, and proximity to the market is the textbook example of unearned income; economic rent. The Market stall is a physical manifestation of the division between producer and consumer. None of these seem like essential characteristics of a free society. Instead of an idealised and impossible “Free Market,” a workers economy would be better imagined as a “Network Economy,” where independent participants exchange according their mutual desires within the context of a common platform, not centrally controlled by any of them, but composed of their own voluntary interconnections.”

Anyone have any thoughts?

Bringing Thunderous Change to New Jersey

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-22T10:35:54-05:00

George Will has a great profile of New Jersey's recently elected governor, Chris Christie.

Here's best part:

So he closed the $2.2 billion gap by accepting 375 of 378 suggested spending freezes and cuts. In two weeks. By executive actions. In eight weeks he cut $13 billion -- $232 million a day, $9 million an hour. Now comes the hard part.Government employees' health benefits are, he says, "41 percent more expensive" than those of the average Fortune 500 company. Without changes in current law, "spending will have increased 322 percent in 20 years -- over 16 percent a year." There is, he says, a connection between the state being No. 1 in total tax burden and being No. 1 in the proportion of college students who, after graduating, leave the state.Partly to pay for teachers' benefits -- most contribute nothing to pay for their health insurance -- property taxes have increased 70 percent in 10 years, to an average annual cost to homeowners of $7,281. Christie proposes a 2.5 percent cap on annual increases.Challenging teachers unions to live up to their cloying "it's really about the kids" rhetoric, he has told them to choose between a pay freeze and job cuts. Validating his criticism by their response to it, some Bergen County teachers encouraged students to cut classes and go to the football field to protest his policies, and a Bridgewater high school teacher showed students a union-made video critical of him. Christie notes that the $550,000 salary of the executive director of the teachers union is larger than the total cuts proposed for 190 of the state's 605 school districts.

Think we can get Christie to come down to Alabama next??

RWN: A Rundown of GOP Senate Primaries

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-21T07:31:58-05:00

John Hawkins over at RightWingNews has a briefing up on all the key Republican Senate primaries.

Here's a teaser:

State: Indiana Election date: May 4. Seat currently held by: Open [Evan Bayh (D)] Candidates: Dan Coats vs. Marlin Stutzman vs. John Hostettler Latest Poll Numbers: Leaked internal poll (April 10, 2010): Coats 29% vs. Hostettler 26% vs. Stutzman 18% Candidate endorsement: Marlin Stutzman Analysis: Retired Senator Coats is a NRSC backed gun grabber who was supposed to step into the race, raise boatloads of money, and turn this into a horserace with Evan Bayh. However, Bayh isn't running, Coats' fundraising hasn't been particularly impressive, and his campaign has gotten a cold shoulder from the base in Indiana. Either Stutzman or Hostettler would be preferable to Coats in the Senate, but Hostettler is one of the worst fundraisers I've ever seen and the GOP won't be able to spend huge dollars this year to make up the slack. That means Stutzman, who has been endorsed by Jim DeMint among others, is the goto guy in Indiana. At the moment, polling data is very thin and this could be anybody's ball game.

Bringing Transparency To Jefferson County Politics

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-20T14:42:18-05:00

There's so much bad coming out of Washington and Montgomery these days, we often forget that there are some good guys in the fight. One those is Alabama Representative Paul DeMarco.

Paul sponsored a bill this session to bring more transparency to Jefferson County government. In a county with as much corruption and mismanagment as Jefferson has, transparency is a vital part of the solution to our problems. The legislation even drew national media attention when The Wall Street Journal picked up the story today:

Governor Bob Riley signed a bill into law Tuesday that puts strict guidelines on Jefferson County's debt issuance and swap usage. Among other things, the legislation requires a public hearing before the county, which includes Birmingham, issues more than $5 million in debt or uses swaps.The bill, which passed the Alabama Senate unanimously last week and the House of Representatives last month, also requires that all interest-rate swap deals be awarded competitively and that any payments associated with them be disclosed.The new law comes as Jefferson County grapples with $3.2 billion in sewer debt related to a swap that soured when the housing crisis led to record-low interest rates. Larry Langford, former president of Jefferson County's governing commission, recently began serving a 15-year sentence for bribery in connection with county's bond dealings."I'm hopeful that with passage of this legislation, we can prevent the type of criminal activity and fraud that has led Jefferson County into the sewer debt crisis we find ourselves in now," said Representative Paul DeMarco, who sponsored the bill.

So as we rail against the dirty politicians in DC and Montgomery we should also remember to thank the good guys. After all, we want more of them...

Luther Strange Commercial

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-19T08:43:59-05:00

My five minutes of TV stardom:

Pileus

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-19T08:19:00-05:00

One of my former college professors (and quite possibly the smartest man I've ever met) has just launched a new blog called Pileus. Here's the info I got from him:

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to announce the creation of a Pileus, a new group blog of scholarly and political commentary. I am one member of the Pileus team, the only philosopher; the other members are three political scientists, each with a different specialty, a law professor, and an economist.

Pileus will focus broadly on issues of political economy. It will be both provocative and timely, even with a bit of irreverence and wit, but it will also bring our scholarly specialties to bear on the issues it discusses.

Pileus is hosted by The Fund for American Studies, for which I am the Charles G. Koch Senior Fellow. I thank TFAS for its support, and I hereby absolve them of any responsibility for the contents of Pileus.

Pileus will have new, substantive content every day, so I hope you will read regularly and consider adding it to your daily reading. I also hope you will consider joining the conversation with comment, discussion, or criticism. We welcome your contributions.

I've checked it out and as expected it's very impressive. This article on education spending is the kind of information that's relevant and applicable to our debates over education funding in this state. I encourage everyone to go and check it out. Pileus will definitely occupy a spot on my blog roll.

CD 5 Straw Poll Results

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-14T13:25:18-05:00

A straw poll held Monday night after the CD 5 debate shows Les Phillip and Mo Brooks running a very tight race:

Les Phillip 46%
Mo Brooks 45%
Parker Griffith 9%

Morris and Montiel Viewpoint's Straw Poll Results

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-08T12:46:20-05:00

Montgomery's Morris and Montiel conducted a straw poll on Wednesday night. The results:

Governor:

Bradley Byrne 42.7%
Tim James 22.5%
Robert Bentley 12.7%
Bill Johnson 12.7%
Roy Moore 9.4%

Lt. Governor:

Kay Ivey 76.1%
Hank Erwin 16.8
Dean Young 4.2%
Gene Ponder 2.9%

Attorney General:

Luther Strange 79.6%
Troy King 20.4%

State Treasurer:

George Wallace, Jr. 59.0%
Young Boozer 41.0%

2nd Congressional District:

Martha Roby 63.3%
Rick Barber 20.3%
Stephanie Bell 15.2%
John McKinney 1.2%

House To Take Up General Fund Budget On Tuesday

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-05T11:18:42-05:00

Rep. Cam Ward has a good preview of the General Fund budget on his blog.

One thing stood out in particular. The budget overall is 2.12% less than last year. Both the legislative and judicial branch are taking budget cuts. However, the executive branch is getting a 5.5% increase. There could be a good explaination as to why, but I'd like to know what it is. When every other branch is taking cuts, you would think the executive branch would too.

Looking at the current state of the economy, the State may have to start really looking at areas to cut. Forecasts say revenues will continue to fall, and Alabama is bound by a balanced budget amendment. I hope the next governor, whoever it is, will look at any essential services the state provides and start cutting out the rest. Money for the historical society is nice if we have it, but not when we're struggling to meet obligations for Medicaid/Medicare and generally keep the lights on.

Odds and Ends

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-02T17:08:24-05:00

Check out Gateway to Goat Hill It's a great wrap up of this week's legislative activity.

Senator Jim Preuitt switched parties late this afternoon. He is officially qualified as a Republican in the Senate District 11 primary. Republicans are now 3 seats short of taking the Senate.

Sen. Beason's Alabama Health Care Freedom Act passed the Senate late Thursday afternoon by a vote of 23-8. The legislation will now be sent to the House and assigned to a committee. We should know on Tuesday which committee we'll have to pressure to get it out and to the floor.

Democrats pulled a fast one when Sen. Scott Beason stepped out. Sen. Zeb Little offered an amendment to the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act that changes the referendum date to July 31. It would have originally been on the ballot in the November general election. It seems Democrats were worried that it would spark increased voter turnout on the conservative side.

There were few qualifying surprises this week. Other than Kay Ivey in the Lt. Gov race, the only big surprise that comes to mind is Eric Johnston qualifying to run against Tom Parker for the Alabama Supreme Court. I know and like Eric, so I'm glad to see he's running.

Conservatives should watch the state legislature very carefully next week. The gambling interests in this state are not going to let this bill die. After the dust settles from the FBI story, expect the House Democrats to push this bill quickly. Another concern is the grocery sales tax bill. This legislation, being pushed primarily by the ultra liberal Alabama Arise, will raise taxes on most Alabamians by eliminating the federal income tax deduction. It's just another example of redistribution of wealth on the part of Democrats.

On a totally different note, this interview by Right Wing News' John Hawkins is excellent. Jason Mattera is the author of Obama Zombies: How the Liberal Machine Brainwashed My Generation.

FBI Investigation Shaking Up Alabama Legislature

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-02T16:20:08-05:00

All anyone is talking about today is the FBI investigation. I'm sure there are some people in Montgomery who didn't sleep easy last night. Here's what I've heard so far (None of this has been confirmed; however, the information came from very reliable sources):

-At least 2 Republicans are being targeted in the investigation.

-There have been people in and around the state house wearing wires and recording conversations. Doc's Political Parlor also has a story about this here.

-Larry Langford has been offered a very sweet plea deal to tell everything he knows about fixed slot machines at casinos. I have heard the FBI was at his house this morning.

It will be interesting to see what comes of the investigation. I had heard a couple of months ago that the FBI was all over the state conducting an investigation, but no one knew who the targets were. I am now pondering what the timing of the big reveal might imply...

Who Cares About The Constitution?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-02T15:47:20-05:00

Apparently not Phil Hare...

The sad thing is I think this is the typical attitude of most Democrats.

Wanted: Conservative Leadership For The Republican Party

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-01T15:00:53-05:00

The GOP desperately needs new leadership. Robert Stacy McCain explains why better than I ever could over at The Other McCain.

You must read, but here's a tease:

Over and over, we have seen recently that Republican “leadership” in Washington is a joke, their cowardice exceeded only by their incompetence. Pete Sessions and the National Republican Congressional Committee squandered hundreds of thousands of dollars on the Dede Scozzafava campaign, and the NRCC’s candidate-recruitment efforts consist mainly of trying to find “self-funders” — e.g., Ben Quayle types with lots of Daddy’s money to throw around — rather than identifying real leaders with solid values, like Vernon Parker.

UPDATE: Just after I posted this, I saw this on my Twitter screen. You've got to be kidding me...

Rasmussen Polls AL Gubernatorial Race

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-01T14:47:07-05:00

It's more good news for Bradley Byrne in the latest polls numbers from Rasmussen.

He's the only Republican candidate to garner 50% of the vote, and that's in a head to head matchup with Rep. Artur Davis. He beats both Davis and Sparks by a comfortable margin.

The news is not so good for Roy Moore however. He trails both Davis and Sparks in a head to head match up.

The polling included now candidate for Lt. Gov Kay Ivey. It will be interesting to see how her switching will affect the gubernatorial race.

Rep. Bobby Bright Not In Favor Of Repealing Obamacare

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-01T14:10:42-05:00

Attention all conservatives in Alabama's 2nd congressional district:

I know that Rep. Bobby Bright has voted right on all the "big bills" (all the bills you hear reported on by the media). He claims to be pro-life and pro-gun, and his approval rating shows that he's pretty popular down in your district.

If you think he's doing a pretty good job and you might as well leave him in office, think again. He recently stated his opposition to a repeal of Obamacare:

While Rep. Bobby Bright, D-Montgomery voted against the bill he said he is hesitant to jump on board with a full-scale appeal.
“While I strongly disagree with many aspects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and voted against the bill, I believe it’s premature to discuss repealing a bill that was just passed and has yet to be signed into law by the President,” he said.
“A wholesale repeal, or legal challenge, of the bill ignores the fact that this legislation contains some good parts, many of which will go into effect soon.”

He thinks he can have it both ways on health care. He can vote against the bill, but vote to keep it in place once it passes. If he doesn't fully support repealing the health care bill...well that's as good as voting for it in my book.

I urge all conservatives in the 2nd district to take another look at Bobby Bright--there are solid conservative alternatives...Martha Roby for instance.

Explaining the Broken Window Fallacy

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-04-01T10:23:17-05:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but I got distracted...

Thanks to Jason Pye at United Liberty for bringing this to my attention. This is an excellent video explaining the broken window fallacy. It should be titled: "DeBunking The Myth That WWII Got Us Out Of The Great Depression"

PS-If you're not already reading United Liberty, you should be. (and I'm not just saying that because they let me on their podcast from time to time..)

Milton Friedman on Curing American Health Care

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-31T15:02:23-05:00

Great video of a speech Milton Friedman gave on how to cure the American health care system:

Kay Ivey Expected To Announce She's Entering Lt. Gov Race

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-31T13:26:37-05:00

Finally some good news...Gubernatorial candidate Kay Ivey is expected to announce her decision to qualify for the Lt. Governor's race instead of the race for Governor in just a few minutes. This is great news for Republicans. Kay Ivey has a considerable amount of money and a lot of name ID across the state. She will run a good race against Jim Folsom, Jr. Her decision should help Republicans on the ballot in November.

Kudos to Kay for doing something politicians rarely do--look at the situation and recognize where she can be most helpful to the people of Alabama.

Sen. Beason's Presser on Alabama Health Care Freedom Act

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-30T19:39:38-05:00

We had a pretty good crowd at today's press conference for Senator Scott Beason's SB 233 (Alabama Health Care Freedom Act). The AP estimates 250 people. Senator Beason did a great job explaining why he introduced the bill, what it does, and why it's important that Alabama pass it.

Here are a couple of pictures of the crowd:

Democrats put Senator Beason's Health Care Freedom Act on the special order calendar today...after the bingo bill. The Senate Democrats pulled out their bag of tricks and passed the bingo bill around 6:30 PM. They then moved on to consideration of SB 233. Senator Rodger Smitherman began to filibuster. The Senate then decided to adjourn and will take up SB 233 on Thursday.

Why I'm Against Gambling

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-30T18:45:46-05:00

My opposition to gambling has nothing to do with whether it is moral or immoral, or with whether the Bible says it is wrong or not.

First, I should say that if I have to pin myself somewhere on the political spectrum, I consider myself a classical liberal. Thus, in keeping with that ideology, I am not opposed to gambling in Alabama...in theory.

(Note: My father has brought it to my attention that most people will not know what classical liberal means. Lest anyone think I have gone over to the dark side, here's the definition of classical liberal: is a political ideology that developed in the in England, Western Europe, and the Americas. It is committed to the ideal of limited government and liberty of individuals including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and free markets19th century. Notable classical liberals include Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman.)

The problems come from looking at reality. Our country is a welfare state. Between food stamps, Medicaid and various other entitlement programs, the poor in America are taken care of. Who pays for those programs? You and I do...and so does every other taxpayer in America. I often hear "People should be able to do whatever they want with their own money. If they are dumb enough to gamble it away, it's not my problem." But the thing is, it IS their problem, just like it's my problem. When Joe Smith gambles all his money away and can't afford to feed and clothe his family, the taxpayers have to pick up the slack. And that's one reason I'm against gambling in Alabama.

Here's the other reason: The gambling interests in Alabama have a long history of buying votes and being involved in shady business deals in order to get what they want. They also have a history of funding candidates that will look out for their best interest. Almost all of those candidates are Democrats. Imagine the millions of dollars that will flow into Alabama if we legalize gambling. Now imagine all of those millions flowing right into the pockets of Democrat candidates. At a time when Republicans are closer than ever before to taking over the State Legislature, we cannot afford to have gambling come in with that kind of money and fund the Democrats. If we allow this to happen, Montgomery will become even more corrupt and shady than it already is.

The Democrats showed just how desperately they want gambling legislation passed today. The Senate Democrats pulled out every trick in the book, and broke as many rules as needed to pass SB 380. Lt. Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. was heavily involved in today's debate--something he rarely does. From the gavel in, it was clear that the Democrats had something afoot. We now know exactly what they had--two senators who agreed to come over to their side. Unfortunately, Sens. Denton and Pruett gave up their integrity and voted for this corrupt piece of legislation.

The gambling bill (SB 380) passed by a vote of 21-13 around 6:30 this evening. We will now have to take this battle to the House. I only hope we have some tough House members who will be ready to withstand the pressure from the gambling kingpins.

New Poll Numbers in Alabama Governor/Attorney General Races

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-30T17:51:07-05:00

PPP released news poll numbers on the governor and attorney general races today. The news is good for AG candidate Luther Strange, who is in a statistical dead heat with incumbent Troy King. It's bad news for Troy King who is polling under 50% and tied with a challenger that has yet to run any ads.

On the gubernational side, Bradley Byrne seems to have broken out of his rut with 27%. Roy Moore is holding pretty steady at 23%. The news was really bad for Tim James. He came in at 9%, behind Dr. Robert Bentley and Treasurer Kay Ivey who were tied at 10%.

Birmingham News Editorial Board Doesn't Get It

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-30T16:46:11-05:00

Today's editorial in the Birmingham News demonstrates just how out of touch the editors are with the people of Alabama. The citizens of Alabama are against the health care bill passed by Congress. That's not debatable or political--all 7 of our congressmen voted against it. Now citizens are united in call for the state to join 40 other states in considering legislation that will prohibit any person, employer or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health insurance plan.

Senator Scott Beason dropped the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act at the beginning of the legislative session. On February 2, 2010, the bill passed out of committee. Up until now, Senator Lowell Barron has prevented the legislation from getting on the special order calendar for a floor vote.

The Birmingham News Claims this is just a ploy by Sen. Beason to score political points.

Beason's bill and the others are nothing more than political grandstanding, with an eye toward the November election. Alabama can't pick and choose which federal laws it wants to follow. We saw how well that worked in the 1860s and the 1960s.But Alabama Republicans have made the political calculation that standing up to the federal government on health care is a winning issue. House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, who is also chairman of the Alabama Republican Party, at least was honest about it in a Huntsville Times story. "It's a good issue for us, regardless of whether we pass anything or not," he said. "People are going to take it out on Democrats in Montgomery and Washington."

If this was a political ploy Sen. Beason wouldn't have been dropped the bill until after Obamacare passed. If this was a political ploy, Sen. Beason would have stopped after the initial vote to put SB 233 on the special order calender--a vote Democrats did not participate in. Instead, Sen. Beason gave the Democrats a chance to do what the people of Alabama wanted them to do.

Let me say again--40 other states have passed or are considering this legislation. We are beyond politics now. People have reached their limit where the federal government is concerned. Both Democrats and Republicans have signed on to Sen. Beason's legislation to stop enforcement of the health care bill. The Birmingham News' complete dismissal of the legislation as Republicans trying to score political points shows that they just don't get it.

WaPo Poll Shows Voters Still Oppose Obamacare

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-29T15:49:28-05:00

Jason Pye has a new piece up at United Liberty on the Washington Post poll.

The WaPo poll he mentions shows that:

Passions remain strongest among the plan's detractors, as 26 percent of all adults said they are angry about the changes enacted by Congress, up from 18 percent in August. That includes 54 percent of all Republicans. Fewer Americans, 15 percent, said they are enthusiastic about the new measure, including 40 percent of liberal Democrats.Among opponents, there is near-universal support (86 percent) for efforts to cancel the changes either through a new vote in Congress or through the courts. Since passage, Republican leaders have called for repeal of the new law and replacement with more modest changes.Many key provisions of the new law have been highly popular in recent polling, particularly insurance changes such as extending coverage to young adults and eliminating exclusions based on preexisting conditions. But the intensity of the overall opposition adds to the Democrats' challenge in pitching those benefits to voters, with just over seven months until the midterm elections.

Democrats still insist that when voters experience life under Obamacare they will thank the Democrats for shoving it down their throats. It must be nice to live in the land of delusion...

Roby Signs Pledge To Repeal Death Tax

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-29T14:22:30-05:00

Just got word that Martha Roby, Republican candidate for CD-2, has signed the American Family Business Institute's (AFBI) "Death Tax Repeal Pledge."

The federal estate tax (Death Tax) expired in 2010 for one year. If Congress fails to act, it will return at a 55% tax rate for assets over $1 million dollars in 2011. This should be a major topic of debate during the lead-up to the November elections.

The estate tax is a tax on the net value of a decedent's estate, including all personal and business assets, before distribution to their heirs. Because business assets are included, the Estate Tax hits family business owners and farmers – the engines of economic growth -- particularly hard.

Kudos to Martha Roby for fighting for lower taxes and helping people keep their money!

The Classical Liberal Tradition: Adam Smith vs. Karl Marx

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-29T12:47:57-05:00

James R. Otteson PhD was my mentor in college, and still holds the title of the most intelligent man I have ever met. He blogs regularly here.

I'm bringing this to your attention because he recently gave a talk at FEE's 2010 Homeschool Debate Tournament. It was excellent. So, I decided to post the video here for everyone to see:

The Classical Liberal Tradition: Adam Smith vs Karl Marx

The Classical Liberal Tradition: Marx v. Smith from FEE on Vimeo.

RWN: Blogger Poll The Ultimate Like/Dislike Poll For People On The Right

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-29T09:20:41-05:00

Check out John's new poll over at RWN. He emailed over 260 right of center bloggers and asked them to rate 35 prominent people on the right. Some of the results will surprise you.

Here's a little tease:

Mark Levin, George W. Bush, Paul Ryan, Sarah Palin and Thomas Sowell were all on the Top 10 Most Popular List--can you guess in what order?

Bill O'Reilly, Meghan McCain, Ron Paul, Pat Buchanan and Lindsey Graham were all on the Top 10 Most Unpopular List--I think you'll really be surprised by the order on this one...

To see the full results and find out who the most loved and most hated conservative figures are, head on over to Right Wing News

Alabama Health Care Freedom Act

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-26T12:21:52-05:00

We've had an amazing response to our calls for signatures on the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act coalition letter. We've got 1600 signatures from inidivduals, organizations, businesses and campaigns, and we're still counting! You can still sign online here.

On Thursday, the Democrats once again tried to play games with the people of Alabama. Senator Scott Beason continued his filibuster, until (mistakenly he admits) he allowed them to take a second vote to put his bill on the special order calendar. While this vote failed as did the first, some Democrat legislators were thrilled to be allowed to get a vote for this bill on record.

Democrats in the Alabama legislature must think we're really stupid. They think that because they vote FOR a bill, after doing everything they can to KILL the bill, we will only pay attention to the last vote and all will be well. I certainly hope they are in for a big surprise in November.

Update: I'm hearing (but not confirmed) that the Alabama Black Legislative Caucus has scheduled a press conference at 12:30 on Tuesay. It sounds like they're trying to pull the same stunt the gambling folks did and screw up our press conference. I hope this will serve as even more motivation for people on our side to make the trip.

Rally for Health Care Freedom Act

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-25T14:36:37-05:00

There will be a news conference on Tuesday, March 30 at 11:30 am in support of the Health Care Freedom Act. The conference will be held on the stairs of the Alabama State House.

Senator Scott Beason will be explaining the bill to the media and explaining why it's important that Alabamians be allowed to vote on this crucial constitutional amendment which prohibits any person, employer, or health care provider from being compelled to participate in any health care system.

Additionally, we will be presenting the coalition letter in support of the four bills facing the state legislature. If you or your organization hasn't signed the letter yet, please check it out here.

It’s vital that we pressure certain Democrats into allowing these bills on the floor to be voted upon. There are four things we can do right now:

1)      Continue to call and e-mail your state legislators.

2)      Sign the coalition letter linked above.

3)      Show up from the press conference on Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. in Montgomery.

4)      Pass this information on to your conservative organizations, e-mail lists and friends.

Help Pass the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act: Sign the Coalition Letter!

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-24T23:22:27-05:00

Conservative activists in Alabama have been working very hard to pass the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act. Several versions of the bill have been introduced, but they all say essentially the same thing. We need one of those bills to pass.

SB 233, sponsored by Sen. Scott Beason, is the farthest along in the process. It has come out of committee and now awaits a floor vote. Senator Lowell Barron has been the obstruction to getting the bill on the floor. The House bills, sponsored by Reps. Bentley, Gipson, and Galliher/Ward, have not even been voted on in committee.

Members from several conservative organizations around the state have worked together to craft a coalition letter expressing our support for the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act, legislation which opposes the federal government's recent move to mandate health insurance coverage for all individuals.

The basic line is that Alabama won't allow (by constitutional amendment) for the federal government to dictate which doctors we can see, which insurance plans we like, and that the federal government can't determine the relationship we have with our doctors.

We will be conducting a news conference early next week to publicize the organizations, candidates and individuals supporting this legislation. The time of the conference will be announced as soon as we have the details confirmed.

We are requesting that we get as many organizations, candidates and individuals sign on to the coalition letter as possible before the news conference. The text of the letter, as well as an online signup form, is available on the Internet here: Alabama Health Care Freedom Coalition Letter

Thank you for your assistance in stopping ObamaCare at the Alabama state line!

Seattle School's In-School Clinic Sets Up Teen's Abortion Without Mother's Knowledge

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-24T11:02:45-05:00

This is outrageous and unacceptable. No parent should have to face this with a minor child.

Mother furious after in-school clinic sets up teen's abortion:SEATTLE -- The mother of a Ballard High School student is fuming after the health center on campus helped facilitate her daughter's abortion during school hours.The mother, whom KOMO News has chosen to identify only as "Jill," says the clinic kept the information "confidential." When she signed a consent form, Jill figured it meant her 15 year old could go to the Ballard Teen Health Center located inside the high school for an earache, a sports physical, even birth control, but not for help terminating a pregnancy."She took a pregnancy test at school at the teen health center," she said. "Nowhere in this paperwork does it mention abortion or facilitating abortion."Jill says her daughter, a pro-life advocate, was given a pass, put in a taxi and sent off to have an abortion during school hours all without her family knowing."We had no idea this was being facilitated on campus," said Jill. "They just told her that if she concealed it from her family, that it would be free of charge and no financial responsibility."The Seattle School District says it doesn't run the health clinics at high schools. Swedish Medical Center runs the clinic at Ballard High and protects the students' privacy. T.J. Cosgrove of the King County Health Department, which administers the school-based programs for the health department, says it's always best if parents are involved in their children's health care, but don't always have a say."At any age in the state of Washington, an individual can consent to a termination of pregnancy," he said. But Jill says she not only didn't have a say in her daughter's abortion, but also didn't know about it. "Makes me feel like my rights were completely stripped away."

Update on Sen. Scott Beason's Bill to Protect Alabama Citizens From Obamacare

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-23T22:25:39-05:00

Here's an update on the Alabama Health Care Freedom Act from Smart Girl Politic's Marcia Chambliss:

I got a call around noon today from one of our Tea Party members to see if I could join them at the State House regarding Sen. Lowell Barron's holding Sen. Beason's bill, SB 233, from being added to the calendar for the current session. This is a constitutional amendment that will provide cover for citizens of Alabama as protection from Obamacare. I have to add that Sen. Beason is my new hero and please call to thank him for his efforts.

We were able to sit in on a rules committee meeting where the calendar for the day was reviewed and approved. Sen. Steve French requested that the bill be added to the calendar. Sen. Barron told him that he thought that bill still had some things that were "difficult to understand" and refused to add it to the calendar. If it’s difficult to understand, then he’s in desperate need for a remedial reading course. Barron then called for a vote to approve the calendar which was
seconded by Sen. Wendell Mitchell. He then called for a vote to approve the calendar which was seconded by Sen. Wendell Mitchell.

We then spoke to Sen. Mitchell and told him how vital it was that this bill reach the floor and asked that he get it on the calendar. He told us he really liked that bill and that he would definitely vote on it; one of my friends asked just how he would vote and he said that he would vote for the bill, yet he added nothing to the discussion when Sen. French asked that it be added to the calendar. He has the influence to push this to the calendar but it was obvious that he has no intention to do so.

The most telling point of our conversation with Sen. Mitchell was when one of my friends apologized to him for not knowing exactly how the process worked for getting a bill on the calendar. He responded with, "That's okay, you're not supposed to understand how it works." As Sen. Beason told us later, that's probably the most truthful thing he said to us.

I'm still outraged by that statement as well as how he treated us like little housewives that didn't have anything better to do. He was so dismissive of us and it was obvious that he has a deaf ear to his constituents.

Bottom line - the arrogance in D.C. is glaringly apparent throughout every level of government and every bit of that arrogance has a "D" behind their name. Sen. Barron was so proud of himself and almost broke his arm in patting himself on the back for allowing Republican bills on the calendar - he even pointed out to the two Republicans in the meeting that they got first billing on the calendar with one of their bills, which brought laughs from the Democrats in the room.

Please, please, please - if you can get to Montgomery at anytime during the last days of this session - GET HERE!!! We have to fill the halls on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the next 5 weeks. The Tuesday sessions start at 2:00 p.m. and the Thursday sessions start at 10:00 a.m. I will be there this Thursday and as many of those remaining days as possible. There are 2 bills in the House, but Sen. Beason's bill is the best of the 3. I live in the area so let me know if you need info. If you can't physically make it, melt the phones, faxes, and email to the following:

Seth Hammett 334-242-7668 (Speaker of the House)

Lowell Baron 334-242-7858 (Rules Committee Chairperson) He also HAS the power.

Tom Butler 334-242-7854 (Health Committee Deputy Chairperson)

Zeb Little 334-242-7855 (Senate Majority Leader)

I know that the AGs have filed suit but we need to hit this monstrosity from every angle possible.

As a last note, if you've never sat in the Senate gallery during a session, it's quite an education. They spent the first hour today acknowledging their tour groups in the gallery, reading proclamations to honor deceased constituents, and discussing their upcoming softball game between the House and the Senate. And we wonder why nothing is accomplished???

Luther Strange Reacts To Passage of Obamacare

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-23T16:23:34-05:00

I received this open letter written by Luther Strange from a friend, and I thought I would share:

Friends,

Sunday’s healthcare vote was truly historic, but for all of the wrong reasons. The close vote, that largely followed regional lines, showed once again the cultural, social and economic divide that currently runs so deep in this nation.

Generally, sweeping legislation that fundamentally alters the role of government in the life of the individual is adopted by a bipartisan majority. In the case of yesterday’s takeover of 20 percent of our economy and our personal health choices by the federal government, no such agreement was present. Instead, we witnessed the modern day version of the old smoke filled room – arm twisting, job promises, pay offs and threats to secure this narrow victory over the wishes of the American people.

Speaker Pelosi and President Obama can try all they want to liken this legislation to Social Security, Medicare or Civil Rights – but in every case, those pieces of legislation were passed by large bi-partisan majorities. Our system of government was established to prevent what happened yesterday – a narrow, regional majority forcing its will on recalcitrant states and citizens.

We all should do everything in our power to dismantle this illegal monstrosity in its cradle. As your Attorney General, I intend to join or initiate as many legal actions as possible to challenge the constitutionality of every conceivable aspect of this law. And I will work with the legislature and governor to ensure that our State passes the appropriate laws to give these cases the greatest chance of success.

But today, I think we must reflect upon what yesterday’s action in the House means for our nation as a whole. Starting with the stimulus bill, then the auto and financial bailouts and now healthcare nationalization, we have seen trillions added to our national debt with stunning speed. A debt that threatens to turn our nation into a third world country begging for handouts from the IMF. And for what purpose?

It would appear that the real purpose of these measures has been a massive transfer of wealth from the productive parts of the nation in the South, Midwest and Rocky Mountain states to the Northeast, Rust Belt and West Coast. The beneficiaries (commonly called Blue State America) all share similar traits – high taxes, gigantic deficits, bloated public sector budgets, impossible pension obligations, over regulation of business and out of control unions.

Yesterday was one more step in destroying those states like Alabama that have a balanced budget and friendly business environment to prop up economically unviable states like California, Michigan, New York and New Jersey. As businesses have left those states in droves for better operating environments, their tax revenues have declined. Instead of responsibly cutting government and spending to respond, those states have borrowed massive amounts of money and have hired even more government workers in response. Now, through the policies of this Administration and Congress, they seek to raid those states with free markets and low taxes by having the federal government redistribute our wealth and place a debt on us and our children that we did not seek, did not need nor wanted.

That is no Union. It is the act of an empire. And if we are to prevent further deepening divisions and resentments building between areas of the country, we must restore fiscal discipline to Washington, but most importantly assert our rights once again as states and be willing to vigorously defend those rights.

Our Constitution is very explicit about the specific rights and powers of the federal government. Yet we hardly seem to take large swaths of the Constitution or the Bill of Rights seriously anymore where those limitations are addressed. We ignore them at our peril because to do so undermines, in the minds of the people, the legitimacy of union. That is not a healthy state of affairs and it cannot hold.

- Luther

JeffCo Transparency Bill

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-23T16:17:09-05:00

One thing I forgot to ask Rep. Paul DeMarco in my interview yesterday is about his JeffCo Transparency Bill. Here's the statement from Rep. DeMarco on the legislation:

On Thursday, a bill I sponsored to provide more transparency for Jefferson County financial transactions passed the Alabama House of Representatives. I am hopeful that this bill will both deter and prevent the type of criminal activity and fraud that has occurred in past bond deals in Jefferson County. Financial transactions for Jefferson County will be more transparent and county officials will be more accountable to the taxpayers if this bill is enacted into law.

And here's the text of a Birmingham Business Journal article on the bill:

JeffCo-focused fiscal transparency bill passes state House
Birmingham Business Journal - by Jimmy DeButts Staff
A bill requiring greater transparency for future Jefferson County financial deals exited a state House committee on Wednesday.
In response to the county's lingering $3.2 billion sewer bond debt crisis, Rep. Paul DeMarco, R-Homewood, introduced a bill that would require:
· a public hearing on any proposal to issue debt in an amount of $5 million or more;
· a public hearing before Jefferson County bond and swap deals are initiated. Swaps would have to be priced pursuant to a competitive bidding process;
· the disclosure of the identity of each person who receives payment for services provided in connection with county financing deals.
DeMarco's bill now heads to the Alabama House of Representatives for further debate and consideration. The bill was introduced in response to years of sewer bond fraud by Jefferson County officials. The fraudulent bonds ballooned to $3.9 billion in debt for the county.
The proposed legislation requires a majority of the Jefferson County Commission to attend the public hearings and to answer questions asked by citizens.
"I'm pleased to see the entire Jefferson County House delegation get behind this effort to bring greater transparency and accountability to our county," DeMarco said. "I know it's something that taxpayers want to see happen."
Jefferson County's debt problems stem from bond swap deals that switched fixed interest debt into variable interest debt earlier this decade. The county's financial troubles began in 2002 when the county alleges two former JP Morgan employees solicited the municipality for a $1.4 billion sewer bond deal.
Jefferson County's financial floor collapsed in February 2008 when Standard & Poor's lowered its rating on $3.2 billion of outstanding sewer bond debt three levels.

Kudos to Rep. DeMarco for attempting to clean up the mess that is Jefferson County.

School House Rock--Gangsta Style

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-22T18:54:49-05:00

Interview with Rep. Paul DeMarco

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-22T14:58:24-05:00

This morning I had the chance to interview Representative Paul DeMarco on what the passage of the healthcare bill means for Alabama, what to expect from the legislature in the last 10 days, and his ethics reform legislation.

United Liberty Podcast

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-22T08:44:47-05:00

The guys at United Liberty invited me to join in on their weekly podcast last Friday night--Thanks Brett!

Friday night's participants were Brett Bittner, Doug Mataconis and myself. We cover health care, Real ID, JD Hayworth and gay marriage, the census, and more.

If you'd like to listen, you can stream live from UL here, or you can download from the link below:

Podcast

Historic Vote On Health Care

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-21T20:31:07-05:00

Today's vote on health care was historic for many reasons other than the unprecedented grab of power by Congress. It is also the first time a major entitlement program has been passed without bipartisan support.

A good friend just sent me this remider in the wake of today's passage of today's very partisan vote to nationalize health care:

Social Security: 284 Democrats/81 Republicans

Medicare: 248 Democrats / 65 Republicans

ObamaCare: 224 Democrats (rule/procedures adopted by just 8 votes) / 0 Republicans, twenty plus Democrats siding with Republicans.

He also pointed out a very apt quote:

"America will fall without a shot being fired. It will fall from within."
Nikita Khrushchev

Do Democrats Have The Votes?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-21T09:26:24-05:00

Will Democrats have the votes? If not, why say they do?
Chris Stirewalt answers the question here.

Constitutional Challenges to the Health Care bill

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-21T08:30:21-05:00

Georgetown Law Professor Randy Barnett has a great article in today's Washington Post about constitutional challenges to the health care bill.

Here's what he says about the individual mandate:

But the individual mandate extends the commerce clause's power beyond economic activity, to economic inactivity. That is unprecedented. While Congress has used its taxing power to fund Social Security and Medicare, never before has it used its commerce power to mandate that an individual person engage in an economic transaction with a private company. Regulating the auto industry or paying "cash for clunkers" is one thing; making everyone buy a Chevy is quite another. Even during World War II, the federal government did not mandate that individual citizens purchase war bonds.If you choose to drive a car, then maybe you can be made to buy insurance against the possibility of inflicting harm on others. But making you buy insurance merely because you are alive is a claim of power from which many Americans instinctively shrink. Senate Republicans made this objection, and it was defeated on a party-line vote, but it will return.

On the "Cornhusker Kickback":

Some states are threatening lawsuits to block the special deals brokered by individual senators in exchange for their votes. Unless the reconciliation bill passes the Senate, such deals could remain in place. Article I of the Constitution allows Congress to tax and spend to "provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States." Normally, this is no barrier to legislation benefiting a particular state or city. Congress can always argue that, say, an Air Force base in Nebraska benefits the United States as a whole. But the deals in the Senate bill are different. It is really hard to identify a benefit to all the states from exempting one state from an increase in Medicare costs or allowing only the citizens of Florida to get Medicare Advantage.

On "Deem and Pass":

The whole purpose of the "deem and pass" procedure -- which was advocated by Rules Committee Chairman Louise Slaughter -- was to avoid a separate vote on the Senate bill, which many House members find objectionable, and instead vote on the reconciliation bill and simultaneously "deem" the Senate measure passed. Although Democrats cited prior examples of deem and pass, "the Republicans did it" is not a recognized constitutional argument -- especially if the public and the justices have never heard of such a thing. This constitutional objection seems to have succeeded, as House leaders decided on Saturday to take a separate vote on the Senate version, rather than "deeming" it passed.

And finally, on the Health Care Freedom Acts that many states have passed or are attempting to pass:

Several states are considering measures attempting to exempt their residents from an individual health insurance mandate. While such provisions may have a political impact, none is likely to have any effect on the legislation's constitutionality. Under the 10th Amendment, if Congress enacts a law pursuant to one of the "powers . . . delegated to the United States by the Constitution," then that law is supreme, and nothing a state can do changes this. Any state power to "nullify" unconstitutional federal laws has long been rejected.

D-Day

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-21T08:12:42-05:00

Fox is reporting that the House will go into session at 1:00 PM and will take a vote later today. There are many conflicting reports, which is not surprising. Rep. Paul Ryan pointed out that the situation is in flux. The House Democratic Caucus chairman says they have the votes. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shulz says they don't have a hard 216. House Minority Leader John Boehner says they don't have the votes.

The bottom line is this: If they aren't sure they have the votes they will not take a vote today. As fellow blogger and lawyer Doug Mataconis so aptly pointed out in the United Liberty podcast, the only thing worse than another delay, is a vote that doesn't pass.

What I'm Reading

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-19T15:35:57-05:00

Believe it or not, I get asked for reading recommendations occasionally. So, I've decided to post a list of books I'm either reading or have recently read from time to time. Right now, my theme seems to flow in the liberal direction (not on purpose), but you know what they say...know your enemy.

1. 10 Days That Shook The World: This is a book by American journalist John "Jack" Reed and his experience in Russia during the Bolshevik Revolution. Reed is one of the few Americans buried at the Kremlin. At the recommendation of a good friend, I just watched the movie "Reds" with Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson with is about the life of Jack Reed. After seeing the movie I had to read Reed's book. While I obviously don't agree with his political philosophy, both the book and the movie are inspiring.

2. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised: Democracy, the Internet, and the Overthrow of Everything: This is Joe Trippi's account of the Howard Dean campaign, and to a less extent, his life. I'm reading it at the recommendation of another friend who told me it was key in terms of understanding both how Democrats think, and how the tech revolution began to change the political landscape.

3. Politicking Online: The Transformation of Election Campaign Communications: This book by Costas Panagopoulos is a collection of papers on how the internet and social networking is changing the face of political campaigning and grassroots activism in America. Great for anyone who works in the public policy arena and communicates using Facebook, Twitter, or Blogs.

United Liberty Podcast

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-19T15:24:30-05:00

I'll be taping a podcast with the guys from United Liberty tonight. As soon as it is up, I'll post it here. Topics: health care, health care, census, Afghanistan, No Child Left Behind, Real ID, elections, and more health care.

Why You Should Oppose Obamacare: 32 Quotes From Democrats

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-19T12:44:57-05:00

John Hawkins has a great piece up at Right Wing News

Why You Should Oppose Obamacare: 32 Quotes From Democrats

Here's a peek at a couple of the more colorful quotes:

This bill represents a giveaway to the insurance industry. $70 billion dollars a year, and no guarantees of any control over premiums, forcing people to buy private insurance, five consecutive years of double-digit premium increases. -- Dennis Kucinich

And from our favorite "post partisan" President:

And what I believe that means is we’ve got to break out of what I call, sort of, the 50-plus-one pattern of presidential politics. Which is, you have nasty primaries where everybody’s disheartened. Then you divide the country 45 percent on one side, 45 percent on the other, 10 percent in the middle — all of them apparently live in Florida and Ohio — and battle it out. And maybe you eke out a victory of 50-plus-one, but you can’t govern. I mean, you get Air Force One, there are a lot of nice perks to being president, but you can’t deliver on health care. We’re not going to pass universal health care with a 50-plus-one strategy. -- Barack Obama

A Letter to Congress

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-19T11:02:26-05:00

I recently received a copy of this letter from a concerned citizen in Alabama to Senators Sessions and Shelby. He's right-it's no wonder the American people are fed up with Washington DC. Of course, it's not like they're spending their own money or anything, so what's $50 million?

March 15, 2010

Dear Senators Jeff and Richard:

Would you explain to me why the United States Department of Commerce mailed a letter to the American residents on March 8, 2010 stating that one week from that date they would be receiving their census forms? The public, through weeks of publicity, has been aware of the census.

So the Department of Commerce sends a letter a week earlier saying the survey is coming a week later. I guess that they think that the American people, excluding themselves, are idiots.

Multiply 120,000,000 households by $.43 and you should come up with a cost for this silly letter of approximately $50 million dollars.

That is why the American people are sick of Washington politics. People are losing their jobs and hurting and yet the government is willing to pitch $50 million out the window.

When is this going to stop??

A Good Analysis of the Health Care Vote

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-18T20:25:24-05:00

Michael Barone has a good analysis of the vote count for Sunday's Health Care vote.

This thing is going to come down to the wire. I hope people in the swing districts will continue to pressure their Representative. If there was an undecided in Alabama, I'd be camping out on their doorstep all weekend.

Tom Coburn: Go Ahead, Make My Day

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-18T14:37:27-05:00

This is why I love Sen. Tom Coburn:

House Passes Slaughter Rule 222-202

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-18T14:08:24-05:00

The US House of Representatives is now officially the Deem-and-Pass House. The vote was 222-203 and the roll call can be found here.

Here are the 28 Democrats who had the guts to stand up to Pelosi and protect the Constitution:

Adler (NJ) Arcuri Boren Bright Carney Childers Cooper Costello Dahlkemper Davis (AL) Giffords Herseth Sandlin Holden Kosmas Kratovil Lipinski McIntyre McNerney Melancon Michaud Minnick Mitchell Nye Perriello Shuler Stupak Taylor Teague

Common Sense Solutions For Education Reform

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-17T11:11:07-05:00

Heritage's The Foundry has put out a great article on education reform. It's a must-read. We should distribute a copy to each member of the Alabama Legislature.

Florida gets it:

In Florida, the State Senate has proposed legislation in two committees to strengthen merit pay for teachers and end tenure.

Utah gets it:

Utah has also taken a serious step in the direction of responsible education reform. The Utah State Senate passed a bill recently to ban the social promotion of first, second, and third graders who are not yet reading on grade level. The majority noted that reading skills are the fundamental building blocks of future learning.

The question is: Why doesn't Alabama get it?

Update on Alabama Legislature

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-16T20:55:14-05:00

Time is dwindling in the current legislative session. Neither the House nor Senate has passed a budget yet. You would think this would be their top priority considering it is the only thing they are constitutionally obligated to do during the session. But as usual, gambling has tied up most of the legislative days ensuring that not much gets done. Don't get me wrong--that's not a bad thing. I would actually prefer they do nothing. So what are they going to be doing with the little time they have left?

Gambling: Sen. Roger Bedford will introduce another gambling bill. Unlike his previous legislation, this is a simple bill. It calls for an up or down vote on whether to allow electronic bingo, and stipulates that if the constitutional amendment passes the Alabama legislature will have the power to tax and regulate gaming facilities.

This bill is both good and bad. It's a bill that will be more likely to pass (which is a negative) and it gives the legislature the power to tax and regulate gambling. With certain gambling bosses controlling several of our state legislators, I doubt we're going to get fair tax rates and solid regulation. The only upside is-anything they pass in the way of taxes or regulations will be easier to repeal since it is not a constitutional amendment. Sen. Bedford's first gambling bill granted monopoly power to a handful of people, taxed gaming revenues at an embarrassingly low rate compared to other states with similar gaming laws, and gave the owners of these "electronic bingo" facilities criminal and civil immunity from prosecution. All of that would have been part of the Alabama Constitution had Sen. Bedford's original bill passed.

Highway Bill: Last week the Senate passed Sen. Lowell Barron's Highway Bill. The bill allows the legislature to raid the state trust fund to the tune of $1 billion. It is a constitutional amendment and therefore will have to be voted on by the people. Unfortunately, several Republicans voted for this bill. Sen. Steve French attempted to put some safeguards in the bill to prevent it from becoming a slush fund for legislators pet projects. He was successful in getting a legislative floor put in the trust fund, i.e.-the trust fund cannot get below a certain amount. The House Governmental Appropriations committee will now consider the bill.

I believe there are some infrastructure upgrades that are badly needed in Alabama. However, I don't think this is the way to go to fix them. Here are my concerns:
-There is no provision to repay the money in the bill. Even if there were, it wouldn't be likely to happen, but at least they might attempt a good faith effort.
-There is no way to ensure the money is going to projects that actually need doing, and not paving Lowell Barron's friend's driveway.
-For the infrastructure upgrades we do need, there are other sources of money to get them done. There are several federal appropriations programs that give grants for infrastructure projects. But they may not be as attractive to legislators because they require an 80/20 match.

JeffCo Legislation: A House committee is set to take up a bill sponsored by Rep. Owen Drake that will prevent Jefferson County from imposing non-user fees on persons not connected to the Jefferson County Sewer System.

Budgets: The legislature has both a General Fund budget and an Education Fund budget to pass before they adjourn. They haven't started on either.

House Budget Committee Approves Reconciliation Bill

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-16T11:02:43-05:00

From the NY Times:

By a vote of 21 to 16, the House Budget Committee on Monday advanced a budget reconciliation bill to the next stage of the legislative process.As yet, the bill contains no specific language related to health care; those provisions are to be added by the House rules committee later this week. Instead, the bill establishes a legislative framework by which to modify the Senate-passed health care bill. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the senior Republican on the budget committee, called the reconciliation bill “a legislative Trojan horse.”

Please keep calling!! If you want the most up to date info on who to call go here.

Diane Ravitch and Charter Schools

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-15T16:31:08-05:00

Good rebuttal to Diane Ravitch on charter schools. Diane's new book is great--I agree with a lot of what she says, but she's way off on charters.

In short, many charter schools come closer in aspiration and often in practice to the image that Diane has of what defines functioning schools. And more importantly, if we close down all the charter schools and wait for neighborhood public schools to improve, who pays the costs? Middle class parents will move to the suburbs or send their kids to private schools, leaving the burden of bad schools to fall on the usual less affluent victims.The book tells a depressingly familiar story of a field wracked by fads and innovations that have gone off the track. Her diagnosis of where we’ve gone wrong is often brilliant—although as noted she got choice and charter schools wrong.

RWN's John Hawkins Interviews Karl Rove

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-15T11:33:35-05:00

Fellow conservative blogger friend John Hawkins (of Right Wing News) interviews Karl Rove. He covers Sarah Palin, Waterboarding, Immigration Reform and more.
My favorite part of the interview:

Now there are a few people in public life who have ever been as demonized as you were during the Bush years. The left side of the blogosphere essentially looked at you the way some Christians view the devil. If anything they thought was bad for them happened, they blamed Karl Rove. Was any of this craziness getting back to you while you were in office and if so, what did you think? No, not really. I mean first of all, I had a job to do and in Washington, you can do your job or defend yourself. You can't necessarily do both -- particularly when you're a staff aide to the President. I knew part of it was to try and get me off my game and I wasn't going to let that happen. Besides, I worked with a lot of wonderful people who were very supportive -- and, I had a boss, an ultimate boss, the President of the United States, who said, you know, "better you than me" and really got me to laugh about it. It got to my family far more than it got to me. It's always harder to hear and see ugly things said about your kin than it is about yourself.

Democrats Attempt More Trickery To Pass Health Care

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-15T11:20:03-05:00

At almost midnight last night the Democrats tried once again to fool the American people under the cover of darkness. They introduced a 2,309 page bill that will serve as a starting point for reconciliation. The bill will begin mark-up in the House Budget Committee today. According to Rep. Paul Ryan, Republicans don't have the votes to keep it from coming out of the budget committee. Because of procedural rules dealing with reconciliation, the Democrats had to pull out their old version of the health care bill and shake the dust off. That means that the bill they will start the reconciliation process with DOES have a public option. It also has the student loan takeover tacked on at the end.

Phillip Klein broke the story last night for the American Spectator. For the full story, check out his post.

Also, Rep. Paul Ryan has a great piece on what real health care reform should look like in today's WaPo. Check it out

The Numbers Don't Lie

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-15T09:33:02-05:00

New Kellyanne Conway polling numbers on health care are in today's Wall Street Journal. The main finding:...prepare yourself for the shock...the so-called Senate bill on health care is...wait for it...not popular!!!!

The survey shows astonishing intensity and sharp opposition to reform, far more than national polls reflect. For 82% of those surveyed, the heath-care bill is either the top or one of the top three issues for deciding whom to support for Congress next November. (That number goes to 88% among independent women.) Sixty percent want Congress to start from scratch on a bipartisan health-care reform proposal or stop working on it this year. Majorities say the legislation will make them and their loved ones (53%), the economy (54%) and the U.S. health-care system (55%) worse off—quite the trifecta.Seven in 10 would vote against a House member who votes for the Senate health-care bill with its special interest provisions. That includes 45% of self-identified Democrats, 72% of independents and 88% of Republicans. Three in four disagree that the federal government should mandate that everyone buy a government-approved insurance plan (64% strongly so), and 81% say any reform should focus first on reducing costs. Three quarters agree that Americans have the right to choose not to participate in any health-care system or plan without a penalty or fine.

Members of Congress should heed this warning closely. Ultimately, it's not the White House or Nancy Pelsoi that will get them re-elected. Each of the "Blue Dogs" will have to answer to their constituency, and looking at these numbers...it doesn't give them a lot of wiggle room. I hope they keep that in mind while they are put through arm twisting, shower summits, bribes and/or sweetheart deal cutting.

Bottom line: The numbers don't lie. Vote NO on health care and your constituents might let you keep your seat.

Another Note on the FBI Investigation

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-12T15:28:25-06:00

In another interesting development in this story (unrelated to AG King), Rep. John Rogers of Birmingham had the hard drives on his computers at his UAB office seized by the FBI on Tuesday. Rogers, who is chairman of Alabama's Legislative Black Caucus, oversees minority training and development at UAB. Rep. Rogers denies any wrongdoing and says the FBI investigation relates to programs he oversees.

King Says Investigation Into AG's Office Has Ended

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-12T13:57:29-06:00

**UPDATE: The Decatur Daily agrees with me.**

Alabama Attorney General Troy King says a federal grand jury investigation of him and his office has ended. For the full story, click here.

Rumors have been flying around Alabama for the last month of a major FBI investigation of officials in Alabama. Because of King's already open investigation, and because of his documented ties to the gambling cartel in Alabama, it was speculated that King may have been one of the targets of that investigation. I'm not sure what this news means in terms of the rumored investigation, or if King was, in fact, a target.

In my opinion, AG Troy King has skirted the ethical line one too many times. For instance, King was featured as a special guest at this event hosted by Ronnie Gilley, owner of Country Crossings (which operates an "electronic bingo" hall), three months before issuing a ruling clearing the way for Gilley to get a gambling permit.
Enterprise Fundraiser Invite

King has had country singer Randy Owen doing $500 per plate fundraisers for his re-election campaign. Owen has a large financial stake in the Country Crossings devleopment--site preperation has already started on the "Randy Owen My Home's in Alabama Family Entertainment Center" at the venue.
His ties with Gilley and Country Crossings have netted him a relationship with several country music stars other than Owen. Here's King is pictured with Ronnie Gilley and country singer George Jones:

And if all that is not enough, during the 2006 election cycle, King received two campaign contributions totaling $1500 from Crum Foshee & Associates during the 2006 election cycle. Crum Foshee and Associates have represented several gambling facilites including the Jefferson County Racing Association and the Macon County Greyhound Park.

At best, these are conflicts of interest that should have prevented King from ruling on or regulating these entities. He is walking very, very fine eithical lines. The mere fact that the AG's office was under investigation is embarrassing for the state and presumably for the Attorney General. So while Troy King may be celebrating the end of a grand jury investigation, he should be worried about what the voters will think come June 1.

Did You Get Your Money's Worth From Congress This Week?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-12T12:22:54-06:00

What You Paid
This week, taxpayers spent roughly $46 million on Congress
Salaries of Members of Congress and their allowances/week:
Speaker of the House: $223,500/52 = $4,299
House and Senate Majority and Minority Leaders: ($193,400/52) x 4 = $14,877
Other Representatives and Senators: ($174,000/52) x 530 = $1,773,462
Money allocated for House (sans member salaries): $1.369 billion/52 = $26,326,923
Money allocated for Senate (sans member salaries): $926 million/52 = $17,807,692
What You Got
House of Representatives:
The House passed six bills. The bills are described by the House Clerk's Office as the following:
1)Expressing condolences to the families of the victims of the February 27, 2010, earthquake in Chile, as well as solidarity with and support for the people of Chile as they plan for recovery and reconstruction
2)Commemorating the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the role that it played in ensuring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965
3)Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act
4)Recognizing the plight of people with albinism in East Africa and condemning their murder and mutilation
5)Honoring John E. Warnock, Charles M. Geschke, Forrest M. Bird, Esther Sans Takeuchi, and IBM Corporation for receiving the 2008 National Medal of Technology and Innovation
6)Congratulating Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for being awarded the Nobel Prize in physics
Senate:
The Senate passed legislation to extend certain expiring tax provisions, four months after the House passed the bill in December.

Real Republican PAC Announced

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-12T11:21:32-06:00

Marty Connors has very graciously allowed me to act as Treasurer for his new PAC. See details below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Marty Connors

March 11, 2010 (205)908-6617

CONCERNS OVER SLADE BLACKWELL TIES TO LOWELL BARRON LEAD TO FORMATION OF REAL REPUBLICAN PAC

Birmingham – Former Alabama Republican Party Chairman Marty Connors on Thursday said growing concerns over connections/relations between recently qualified GOP candidate Slade Blackwell and Senate Democrat leadership led him to form the Real Republican Political Action Committee, a group that will lend its support to Sen. Steve French (R – Birmingham) and similar like-minded conservative candidates.

Blackwell is scheduled to announce his candidacy today, Thursday, March 11, 2010.

Connors said Democrats have begun running/encouraging candidates in Republican primaries in districts and areas weighted heavily toward the GOP in hopes that they can capture seats currently held by conservative Republicans.

The long standing relationship between Blackwell and Democratic State Senator Lowell Barron is one of the worst kept secrets in Montgomery.

The tactic was used most recently – and unsuccessfully – in two state school board elections in 2008 and in legislative races such as the 2002 Republican Primary for Senate District 14 currently held by Hank Erwin.

“Steve French has been a solid, conservative Republican who is not afraid to roll up his sleeves to do hand-to-hand combat with Senate Democrats/Liberals,” Connors said. “Now they are retaliating by muddying up the Republican primary. If their efforts are successful, Democrats will maintain control of the Alabama Senate, regardless of party affiliation.

In response to this Democratic tactic, Connors has formed the Real Republican PAC and will raise money for French and other incumbents facing GOP primary candidates who are backed and recruited by the Democrat Party and others working on its behalf.

He will also use funds to educate voters about RINO (Republican In Name Only) candidates competing in primary election contests, such as French’s.

“The Alabama Democrat Party is dying a quick death in most areas of Alabama, and we must ensure that it does not stay alive by reaching its tentacles into the GOP,” Connors said.

Breaking: 23 Democrats Switch to Undecided on Health Care

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-11T11:31:02-06:00

Per Red State:

The Hill found the number of Dem House members who voted “yes” for ObamaCare in November has shrunk by 23. These 23 have moved into the undecided category.The NRCC target list that Erickson linked to yesterday has 25 Dem members who voted Yes for ObamaCare in November, and who are now at undecided. The Hill is at 23, and the NRCC is at 25 Yes votes who have moved to undecided. It is safe to call it about two dozen Dems who have moved off Yes. (The Hiller post on RedState noted a Yes vote on ObamaCare who is staying at Yes.)So, the Undecided list keep growing. And once the Democrats in the House figure out that Senator Byrd will vigorously enforce the Byrd rule on abortion, and that the Republicans are stone-cold-serious about upholding the Byrd precedent on legislating on abortion on any reconciliation bill — then the number of undecideds will really grow some more.

The snowball has started on health care. I look for it to get bigger and bigger each day. Democrats are like rats jumping from a sinking ship.

Alabama Legislature Should Pass Health Care Freedom Act

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-11T10:38:40-06:00

38 states are currently considering legislation to protect the rights of citizens in regard to their health care. These bills, known as Health Care Freedom Acts, ensure citizens will not be required to purchase health insurance or participate in any health care system against their will. Virginia recently became the first state to pass such legislation.

The legislation essentially stands up to the federal government and says “back off our health care.” It is part of a group of laws gaining in popularity called nullification laws. Nullification is based on the 10th amendment principle that any power not specifically given to the federal government lies with the states. Nullification laws are increasingly used to combat what many agree is an overstepping of bounds by the federal government. Not one of these laws have been challenged in court, so it will be interesting to see how the battle develops.

Alabama has several Health Care Freedom bills pending. Senator Scott Beason has introduced SB 233 in the Senate, and Reps. Mac Gipson and Robert Bentley have each introduced the same version in the House (HB 42, HB 47). Both House bills have had one reading and been referred to the House Committee on Health. Sen. Beason’s bill has had a second reading and been placed on the calendar. It awaits a favorable third reading from the Senate Health Committee.

Virginia just did it. 37 other states are trying to do it. Alabama should do it. The Alabama Legislature must pass SB233, HB42 or HB47, better known as the Health Care Freedom Act, immediately.

Update on Obamacare

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-10T20:55:09-06:00

Today's article in the Wall Street Journal gives a good overview of where we are in the health care debate.

The House passed its version of the health bill in November by 220-215. Of those 220, one was a Republican who now is a no. One Democrat who voted yes has died, two Democrats who voted yes have resigned, and one Democrat who voted no has resigned as well. So if everyone but the Republican votes the way they did four months ago, the score would be 216-215.But not everyone is ready to vote that way. The House bill included an amendment prohibiting funding of abortions sponsored by Michigan Democrat Bart Stupak. The Senate bill did not. Mr. Stupak says he and 10 to 12 other members won't vote for the Senate bill for that reason. Others have said the same, including Minnesota's James Oberstar, chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Dan Lipinski, a product of the Chicago Democratic machine.Mrs. Pelosi may have some votes in reserve—members who would have voted yes if she needed them in November and would do so again. But we can be pretty sure she doesn't have more than 10, or she wouldn't have allowed the Stupak amendment to come forward at the last minute the first time. She also might get one or two votes from members who voted no and later announced they were retiring.But that's not enough—and there are other complications. Voting for the Senate bill means voting for the Cornhusker kickback and the Louisiana purchase—the price Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid paid for the votes of Ben Nelson and Mary Landrieu. It's not hard to imagine the ads Republicans could run attacking House members for sending money to Nebraska and Louisiana but not their home states.

While things are looking bad for the Democrats right now, things can change in the twist of an arm. We must keep our eye on the ball and not let them distract us with charades like reconciliation while they work to get the Senate bill passed in the House. Keep calling House members and letting them know the only accpetable vote is a NO vote. The NRCC has very helpfully put together a website where you can keep track of who's yes/no or on the fence. The information is changed as new data comes in. It's called Code Red and here's a link:

House Conservative Fund Endorses Martha Roby

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-10T13:17:26-06:00

Congrats to Martha Roby for yet another great endorsement! Today, the House Conservatives Fund sent out the following press release:

Roby Endorsement Release

Bradley Byrne Grabs Jeb Bush Endorsement

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-10T12:36:15-06:00

Bradley Byrne got a significant endorsement from former Florida governor Jeb Bush. Here's the press release:

MONTGOMERY – March 9, 2010 – Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush today announced his endorsement of Bradley Byrne for Governor of Alabama.
“Bradley Byrne is the conservative reformer in the race for Governor of Alabama. Bradley will work hard to reform government and improve the quality of education so Alabama can create a business climate that will attract investment and high wage jobs to the state,” said Governor Bush.
“I am honored to receive Governor Bush’s endorsement and am so proud to have his support on our campaign. As Governor of our neighboring state, Jeb Bush created jobs, cut taxes and made great strides in reforming and improving Florida’s education system. His tenure provides a tremendous example of conservative leadership for all state governments, and his counsel and support means the world to Rebecca and me,” said Byrne.
Governor Bush will appear as the special guest at a Byrne for Alabama campaign event in Birmingham in early April.
Jeb Bush was Florida’s 43rd Governor, serving from 1999-2007. He is the Chairman of the Foundation for Excellence in Education, which is championing a movement of reform, state by state, across America to transform education for the 21st century economy.

This should help shore up Byrne's conservative cred. I heard Jeb Bush at an Alabama Policy Institute dinner a few years ago and he was very impressive. I think he is more conservative than his brother, and is a man of great intellect. His endorsement of Byrne should go a long way in easing the concerns of Republicans who have been skittish thus far.

Tea Parties and Conservatism

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-08T19:11:20-06:00

Just read John Feehery's article on The Daily Caller: Are Tea Partiers Really Conservative?

I'd like to take issue with what John said on a couple of points:

a) John says that conservatives believe we ought to protect the system.

True conservatives value one thing over any thing else: societal stability.

I don't know where John's been hanging out, but in almost 8 years of political activism I don't think I've ever once heard conservatives call for more political stability. Lower taxes=yes. Smaller government=yes. Welfare Reform=yes. Societal stability=no. It is truly bizzare to me that he thinks this is what the conservative movement is about. He also pulls out quotes from Russell Kirk and Edmund Burke that don't really make his point. Edmund Burke was himself a political activist, being very involved in party politics. And lest we forget his famous (if overused) quote--"The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing."

b) John bashes the Tea Party movement for adopting Alinsky-style tactics of social unrest.

But what do the Tea Partiers do?They march with signs of Barack Obama in a clown face. They spend an inordinate time wondering if Obama was born in America. They attack institutions.They use Alinsky’s rules against the left, but by doing so they create anarchy.Dick Armey, the self-proclaimed father of the Tea Party movement, has been unapologetic in his use of these tactics. James O’Keefe, the right-wing provocateur, seems to enjoy channeling his inner Abby Hoffman.Even the leading lights of so-called conservative talk radio, guys like Rush Limbaugh and especially Glen Beck, use many of these tactics to provoke, to entertain, and to shock the public.

Now every group has a few radical members--it's inevitable. However, to say the entire tea party movement is made up of a bunch of birthers, conspiracy theorists, and anarcho-capitalists is beyond the pale. Most tea party participants I've come in contact with are just average people who are upset that the governement is taking too much of their money and too much of their freedom. Most of them don't even own a tin foil hat.

Second, why is it wrong for conservatives to challenge the system? Every successful business or organization at some point has to wipe the slate completely clean and say "now what is it that's really necessary for us to function." I disagree with John that conservatives who challenge corrupt institutions (and we can all agree that there are plenty to challenge) are using radical, left-wing tactics. People are simply tired of corrupt politicians in both parties who are living large off the taxpayer dole, and there's nothing radical about that.

Now I agree with John that conservatives need to be well-armed intellectually, and use civil political discourse to promote their ideals, but I have to think maybe John has spent too much time in Washington DC. His tone was condescending and irritated. It's as if he cannot understand why these tea party people are upset with politics as usual. This attitude is exactly what's wrong with Washington DC and many in the Republican leadership--they are too focused on protecting the system, i.e. the bureaucracy, and forget to protect the principles.

I hope Republicans have gotten that message.

2nd Amendment and the States

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-03T15:12:53-06:00

Great commentary from Georgetown law professor Randy Barnett on the Supreme Court's hearing of oral arguments on the Chicago gun ban.

Many expect the US Supreme Court to apply the 2nd amendment to States, invalidating many laws restricting gun ownership. Use of the US Constitution's Privileges and Immunities Clause, which says, "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States." is the most logical way for the court to do so. And after D.C. v Heller, it seemed like the next logical step. Paired with the conservative lean of the Supreme Court these days, many gun owners were optimistic. However, some of that optimism may have been dampened yesterday:

Judging by yesterday's oral argument, the Supreme Court is afraid to revisit that 1873 decision for fear of opening a can of worms. Chief Justice John Roberts began the questioning by invoking the heavy burden on anyone seeking to reverse Slaughter-House. Justice Antonin Scalia referred to the Privileges or Immunities Clause as the "darling of the professoriate," a reference not intended as a compliment.Noticeably absent was any question—not one—by any justice challenging the historical evidence that the right to keep and bear arms was among those included in the Privileges or Immunities Clause. For that matter, no justice seemed at all interested in the original meaning of any aspect of the 14th Amendment. (As is his practice, Justice Clarence Thomas, the one justice who has expressed sympathy for reviving the Privileges or Immunities Clause, asked no questions.)

Roll Call On Extension of Unemployment Benefits

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-03T14:53:30-06:00

KY Senator Jim Bunning relented on his filibuster yesterday after failing to come up with the votes to pass his amendment. The Senate voted to extend unemployment benefits without finding a way to pay for that extension. This is a violation of the "pay-go" legislation that Congress passed last month. Conveiently, Democrats gave the legislation a waiver from the pay-go requirement. Bunning wanted to pay for the extension by removing part of a tax credit the paper industry receives for wood-pulp used to provide bio-fuels to power plants. The product is called “black liquor.”

Several Republicans voted YES on the extension, including Alabama Senator Richard Shelby. For the full roll call vote, click here.

Update on AL Legislature: Gambling

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-03T14:04:02-06:00

Lots of action in the Alabama legislature today on gambling. For those of you who don't follow Montgomery closely, here's what went down:

Democrats attempted a vote to overcome the BIR (Budget Isolation Resolution) for Sen. Roger Bedford's gambling bill. The vote was 18-16 and the BIR failed. The BIR must be overcome by 21 votes. For information on the problems with Sen. Bedford's bill, click here. For the roll call vote on SB 380's attempt to overcome the BIR, click here.

People on the ground were saying (and news outlets were reporting) that Sen. Bedford was not going to bring his bill back up again during this session. Then, lo and behold, a Republican senator who voted against Sen. Bedford's bill on the BIR vote, decided to introduce his own gambling bill. Senator Paul Sanford released the following today explaing what his bill would do and why:

FROM THE DESK OF Senator Paul Sanford

Press Release
March 3, 2010
CONTACT: (334) 242-7800

Senator Paul Sanford Desires to Move Bingo Debate in a New, Honest Direction

(MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA)—Senator Paul Sanford (R-Huntsville) had been working with both sides of the electronic bingo issue (SB380) to try and clean up the bill before it came up for debate in the state senate. After a few attempts to reconcile the differences of both sides, Sen. Sanford’s desired concessions were not met. Within the next day or two he will be releasing a new bill drafted by the Legislative Reference Service that will shrink the size of the constitutional amendment and simplify the issue to a basic up or down vote of the people in November.

“I desire nothing more than to move the ‘bingo’ debate in a new, honest direction – one that is more simplistic, straight-forward, and transparent. It has bogged down the Legislature for years, and it is time to put this issue to rest and move on with the other pressing business in Alabama, like getting our economy back on track,” Senator Sanford said. “We all realize this subject has been a ‘grey’ area of the law, but it’s time for the voters to turn grey into either black or white with a bill that is not dripping in special interest tinkering,” he continued.

Senator Sanford said the original Senate Bill 380 and subsequent substitutions, none of which were released for official debate, were too “stuck in the mud” with unfair special treatment for a select few. His bill, which will be released on his websites (senatorsanford.com and sanfordforsenate.com), pairs down the debate to a straight up or down vote of the people. The bill will also at least do the following:

Refer to the current machines in use as “slot machines” instead of “bingo”;
Legalize, tax and regulate slot machine casinos in a few pages instead of the current 48-page constitutional amendment full of fine print that nobody reads or understands;
Place casino licenses up for bid so the taxpayers, instead of casino bosses, get the best deal
Add prohibitions of campaign contributions from the gambling interest to those who appoint the Gaming Commission and to the Legislature ; and
Establish a minimum tax rate of 50% to make sure we’re not “giving away the store”

“I ask that all current supporters of SB380 join me in support of my new bill, because, its is, in its simplest form, accomplishing the same basic tenet of placing this issue before the people for a vote,” said Sen. Sanford. “That is the argument that supporters of the current bill are using in their PR campaign, paid advertising, and discussions with undecided legislators. So why would anyone who supports SB380 not join me in my more basic and straight-forward bill that meets the same goal?” he continued.

Senator Sanford said his tracking of correspondence from constituents is running eighty percent to twenty percent in favor of putting the issue to a vote of the people so long as the bill is not putting the power in the hands of a few monopolies.

“One thing I have learned from the arrogance of the U.S. Congress related to ‘healthcare reform’ is that elected officials better listen to the folks back home, and that’s what I’m doing but I just couldn’t support a non-competitive bill that didn’t have the best interest of the State at heart. I was elected as a ‘citizen lawmaker,’ and if the people of my district want to be able to vote on this issue, that’s what I’m going to give them the opportunity to do,” Sen. Sanford stated. “If this does make its way to the ballot box in November, I ask that voters do their due diligence on the issue and not make a decision based on any slick advertising campaign but on the true facts and information,” he finished.

Many conservatives are questioning the wisdom of introducing a bingo bill when we already had the issue beat. Sen. Sanford is rumored to be looking at a tough race for re-election. I'm sure the overwhelming support for gambling in his district had something to do with his decision. However, it is unfortunate that we seem to be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on this one.

Ayn Rand: Producers vs. Looters

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-02T19:47:10-06:00

Great article in the Christian Science Monitor about Ayn Rand and the concept of producers vs. looters. Don Watkins and Yaron Brook draw the connection between Rand's Hank Reardon and Orren Boyle and modern companies like Apple and GM.

The producers, such as Hank Rearden, inventor of a new metal stronger and cheaper than steel, work tirelessly to create products that improve human life. The looters are basically pseudobusinessmen, like the incompetent steel executive Orren Boyle, who get unearned riches by getting special favors from politicians. Their business isn’t business, but political pull.It is the producers who make life possible: who keep grocery shelves stocked; who discover new lifesaving drugs; who make computers faster, buildings taller, and airplanes safer.The looters, on the other hand, leech off the wealth created by producers.The novel rejects the widespread notion that both the producer Reardens and the looter Boyles are fundamentally united by a desire for profit. Only the Reardens, she argues, deserve to be called profit-seekers, because they earn rewards through productive effort; the Boyles are antieffort parasites seeking unearned loot.But it’s not only unearned wealth the looters want. In “Atlas Shrugged,” Boyle uses his influence to throttle Rearden with progressively harsher government controls and regulations, because he can’t survive except by hindering the competition.Producers, however, don’t need special favors, only freedom: the freedom to produce, to trade voluntarily, and, if they succeed, to keep the profits. As a country becomes less free, it creates and unleashes more and more Boyles, who succeed at the expense of the Reardens.America, today, is still a land of producers. Our country is full of industrialists, managers, and financiers who display the ruthlessly high standards, exceptional intelligence, and extraordinary work ethic that are characteristic of a producer.

Watkins and Brook have a dim, but realistic outlook on the state of today's economy:

But the Boyles are on the rise, growing fat on bailouts, handouts, and other sundry opportunities for political profiteering. For every producer like BB&T bank’s John Allison, who opposed Washington’s bailouts and was forced to accept government money, there seem to be 10 like former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner, demanding tax dollars to prop up their failing companies.

If the President and Congress continue on the same path we're on now, we may very well meet the end played out in Atlas Shrugged. At some point, the producers will lose their will to produce and the looters will no longer have anything left to loot. We must hope for change in 2012!

Concerned Women of America Endorses Martha Roby

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-02T13:15:52-06:00

Today, CWA announced its endorsement of AL-2 candidate Martha Roby:

Concerned Women Political Action Committee Endorses Martha Roby for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District
Martha will be another much needed voice for the unborn in Congress

Washington, D.C. – Concerned Women Political Action Committee (CWPAC) has announced its endorsement of Martha Roby for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional district.
Concerned Women PAC, established in 2002 by Founder and Chairman Beverly LaHaye, is affiliated with Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee, the nation’s largest public policy women’s organization with more than 500,000 grassroots members nationwide.
The current Congressman from the second Congressional district is Bobby Bright who is seeking his second term.

“Martha Roby is a strong social and fiscal conservative, with a record to prove it, “said Penny Nance, CEO of Concerned Women Political Action Committee.
“As a private citizen, she dedicates her time and her leadership to pro-life and pro-family causes, serving on the board of Sav-a-Life Montgomery, a local crisis pregnancy center. As a member of the Montgomery City Council, Roby has vigorously fought tax increases and has consistently fought against wasteful spending.
As U.S. Representative, Roby will fight for limited government, strong national security, and pro-family legislation.”
Mrs. Penny Nance and Concerned Women Political Action Committee’s mission is to elect solid pro-family, pro-life conservatives to Congress. Concerned Women PAC sends out a monthly letter to members encouraging them to financially support candidates like Martha Roby. For more information on this race or to set up an interview with Mrs. Nance, please contact Mike Mears at 202-408-4941.

A New Look

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-01T15:08:51-06:00

Due to complaints about the "crazy scripts" running on my page, I've given my blog a makeover. I hope this solves the problem for everyone.

News Flash: Some Americans Would Prefer High-Deductible Plans

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-03-01T14:56:34-06:00

After last week's health care summit it became clear that the President has a total disdain for high-deductible insurance plans. Why would anyone choose to use their health isurance for catastrophic purposes instead of everyday problems? Obama made it clear he didn't understand. He assumes people will be willing to pay 10 to 13% more for more coverage. What he doesn't get is that there are people out there that would prefer to have less coverage for less money. Many Americans choose to purchase high-deductible plans and supplement those with Health Savings Accounts or simply pay everyday costs out of pocket. Michael Tanner from Cato does an excellent job of explaining why:

The RAND Health Insurance Experiment, the largest study ever done of consumer health purchasing behavior, provides ample evidence that consumers can make informed cost-value decisions about their health care. Under the experiment, insurance deductibles were varied from zero to $1,000. Those with no out-of-pocket costs consumed substantially more health care than those who had to share in the cost of care. Yet, with a few exceptions, the effect on outcomes was minimal.And, in the real world, we have seen far smaller increases in the cost of those services, like Lasik eye surgery or dental care, that are not generally covered by insurance, than for those procedures that are insured.In fact, a study by Amy Finklestein of MIT suggests that nearly half of the per capita increasing health care spending is due to increased health insurance coverage.No one is suggesting that people shouldn't have insurance. But insurance is ultimately meant to spread the risk of catastrophic events, not to simply prepay your health care. Your homeowners insurance covers you if your house burns down. It doesn't pay to mow your lawn or paint the fence. Read more.

I hope Republicans will take heed of this information and continue to focus on ways to give Americans more choice in their health care not less.

Republican Reaction to the Health Care Summit

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-28T11:26:42-06:00

Interviews with Rep. Michele Bachmann and Steve King on the Health Care Summit held by Obama last week.

More on the "PACT fix" bill

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-28T10:55:52-06:00

Brian over at Flashpoint has a good rundown of the problems with the PACT bill currently being debated in the Alabama legislature.

On Thursday Alabama’s House of Representatives passed a bill meant to salvage Alabama’s Prepaid Affordable College Tuition (PACT) program on a vote 0f 104-0. The bill (HB228 sponsored by Craig Ford) includes a provision that Mike Hubbard referred to as a “poison pill.” The Montgomery Advertiser quoted Hubbard, but didn’t delve into the substance of his warning. The concerns come from a coupling of two provisions of the bill: a cap on tuition for PACT students and a rarely used “inseverability clause.” Those two provisions create the very real possibility of the entire legislative act becoming null and void. Read full post here.

My only question is this: Why didn't any of the Republicans vote against it? I know opposing a PACT fix would be unpopular with many parents and grandparents across the state, but you would think that some of the Republicans would have taken a stand and let them know the bill will most likely put them back in the same position in a few years. People in Alabama aren't stupid and most would understand the problems inherent in the severability clause if anyone took the time to explain it to them.

Why I'm Supporting Martha Roby for AL-2

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-27T10:43:25-06:00

Why am I supporting Martha Roby? It's because she supports a balanced budget, i.e. one where our government doesn't spend more than it takes in; it's because she supports lowering the tax burden on American families and abolishing the IRS as we know it; and it's because when it comes to choosing an elected official, character counts.

I'm supporting Martha because she believes that the American people know what's best for them, not Washington DC. She supports removing burdensome government mandates that tell you what your health insurance should cover. She supports legislation allowing individuals to purchase insurance across state lines, thereby increasing competition among insurance companies and resulting in lower rates. And because she supports giving individuals and small business owners the same tax credits that employers get for purchasing insurance.

I'm supporting Martha because she believes you can spend your money better than Washington can. She believes Americans are overtaxed and overburdened by the Government. As a Montgomery City Councilwoman she voted against numerous tax increases and supported a balanced budget requirement for the city. I'm supporting Martha because she believes if you can't afford it, you shouldn't buy it.

Some have taken hits at Martha because she is a lawyer. I don't when education became a liability in the conservative movement, but as a fellow law school graduate I can say that being a lawyer helps when making laws. For instance, when Rep. Bobby Bright (then mayor of Montgomery) proposed an immigration bill to the Montgomery City Council, Martha said "wait a minute, let's write a law that will hold up in court." She researched the issue, looked at past precedent, and came up with a way to address illegal immigration that would stand up to any legal challenge.

Now is Martha the perfect candidate? No. Such a thing doesn't even exist. Do I agree with everything she says? Probably not, but I do agree with 98% of it and that's more than I can say for a lot of incumbent members of Congress. Why am I even taking a position on this race when I don't live in the 2nd Congressional District? Because I know Martha, and she believes Washington DC is wasting our money, over-regulating our lives and destroying the American economy; and I believe that anyone who feels like that is the kind of person we need in Congress no matter what district they are from.

Check her out at www.martharoby.com

Some Thoughts on Today's Health Care Summit

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-25T20:28:20-06:00

I was wrong. Last week, I opined that Republicans were making a huge mistake by agreeing to attend Obama's "Bi-Partisan Health Care Summit". But, Republicans came prepared with both barrels loaded today and came out the victors.

Today's healthcare "discussion" was replete with instances where Obama and the Democrats failed to provide any substantive counterpoint to the contentions raised by Republicans. These include the expected increases in individual premiums, increased taxes during unfavorable economic conditions, increased government intervention in the healthcare industry and lack of bipartisanship during the creation of the 2,400 page monstrosity.

One of the most excrutiating - and yet unsuprising - aspects of the summit today was the President assuming the role of arbiter and authority of what was appropriate for discussion. Nearly all of the questions posed by the Republicans today are the same as those the general public has sought answers to over the past year. Yet we saw Obama continuing to try to assert some moral high ground by deeming some many of the Right's concerns not worthy of a response.

Throughout much of the day, the President appeared flustered, unprepared and displayed a lack of knowledge about the piece of legislation we're all about to have to live with.

Perhaps the biggest star of the day was Rep. Paul Ryan, a fast rising star among the GOP leadership. Ryan made his point in a way even the charismatic and double-talking Obama couldn't weasel his way out of.
From the Christian Science Monitor:

Obama called the Republicans on their use of props, as well as their standard talking points. But any members of the public watching the proceedings may well have come away thinking that the Republicans had more to say than just “no.”Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, the ranking member of the House Budget Committee, came armed with numbers about the Senate Democratic bill from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.Calling the Senate bill “full of gimmicks and smoke-and-mirrors,” Representative Ryan said it “has 10 years of tax increases, about a half a trillion dollars, with 10 years of Medicare cuts, about half a trillion dollars, to pay for six years of spending.”“Now, what’s the true 10-year cost of this bill in 10 years?” he continued. “That’s $2.3 trillion.”Obama sought to frame the numbers differently, but Ryan had made his point. If Obama gets credit for welcoming Republicans to the table, the Republicans get credit for coming prepared.

At times the Democrats and Obama looked flustered and were clearly on the defensive. The President got testy with Sen. McCain and Rep. Cantor (click here for the play by play), and at one point hinted strongly that the Demcrats may use reconciliation to pass health care reform.

From Obama's closing remarks:

"The question that I'm going to ask myself and I ask of all of you is, 'Is there enough serious effort that in a months time or a few weeks time or six weeks time, we could actually decide something?' And if we can't, I think we've got to go ahead and make some decisions and then that's what elections are for."

Republicans have basically said they want to start over with a clean slate and figure out what both sides can agree on. Democrats say no to this idea, claiming that it is just not feasible to do it piecemeal. According to several recent polls, the American people are siding with the Republicans on this one (CNN, Rasmussen and Fox News).

The big winner today was the GOP. They showed up ready and willing to do battle. Democrats definitely didn't win any support from today's performance. I think (and this is somewhat of a general consensus) that the Democrats/Administration intended to use today to prove that they were trying to work with the Republicans and that Republicans just weren't willing. This would have paved the way for reconciliation. Unfortunately for them, the Demcrats didn't plan on Republicans like Cantor (who showed up with a copy of the bill-all 2700 pages of it) and Paul Ryan (who showed up with the CBO scoring of the bill). It was almost as if Republicans were saying "bring it on" on the topic of reconciliation.

Of course, neither side really intended to accomplish anything today. After all, if they had, they would have held a small meeting with a handful of representatives from both parties and the administration, and hashed things out in private. Today's show, complete with C-Span's cameras, was never going to net any kind of agreement.

Legislative Update

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-25T11:25:12-06:00

As is typical at this point during the legislative session, not much happened on Goat Hill this week. The Senate is stuck on gambling (SB 380) and Sen. Lowell Baron's roads bill (SB 120). Democrats don't have the votes to overcome the BIR on either. (For those of you who don't follow Alabama politics, the BIR is the Budget Isolation Resolution-a procedure by which 2/3s of members must vote to set aside the budget and consider other legislation. The legislature is bound by law to pass state budgets before other legislation can be considered--unless they can get 2/3s to agree to set the budgets aside).

Look for the gambling bill to be modified slightly in the next few weeks--namely for the tax breaks for Country Crossings to be removed from the legislation. More on the gambling bill below.

As for the House, they spent the week on a constitutional amendment that would call a constitutional convention to rewrite the Alabama Constitution. The bill failed to get the necessary votes to stay on the table for debate, and is thought to be dead for the rest of the session. Today, the House began debate on a bill that would rescue the bankrupt PACT program. Some Republicans were unhappy with the bill because it capped tuition for students whose parents participated in the PACT program. This would result is different students being charged different amounts of tuition. It sounds like a total nightmare for universities and patently unfair to students.

Gambling was the big issue on Goat Hill Tuesday. Both sides had rallies scheduled at the State House--the Anti-Gambling crowd at 12:30 and the Pro-Gambling crowd at 2:00. Naturally, the Pro-Gambling crowd showed up early, and crashed the Anti-Gambling rally. Participants became very aggressive--yelling "Scalp Riley" and "Impeach Riley" and became very nasty toward First Lady Patsy Riley. I think the Pro-Gambling people really hurt their cause with Tuesday's display.

Regardless of how you feel about gambling in Alabama, this legislation is TERRIBLE. This is NOT, I repeat NOT, free-market gambling. It was written by a handful of wealthy and powerful gambling bosses and sets them up with a monopoly and gives them immunity from any criminal or civil prosecution. For details on the legislation, click here.

Scott Brown and the Jobs Vote

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-24T15:48:33-06:00

I've heard a lot made of Scott Brown's vote for Obama's "jobs" bill. He is being burned in effigy by many conservatives as I type. I'd like to remind all of my conservative friends that nobody ever said Scott Brown was Reagan reincarnate. In fact, many on the right looked at his moderate record in Massachusetts and knew that this moment would come. "But why support him then?" I hear. The answer is simple: He was better than the alternative. We had a choice between Coakely and Brown. Brown was opposed to the health care bill (still is judging by his reaction to the proposal Obama put forth on Monday), and he was opposed to cap and trade (also still is). I fully expected Brown to be fairly moderate if for no other reason than he would have to be in order to keep his seat.

So when people ask me if I am discouraged or disappointed by Brown's vote, I say yes and no. I am not disappointed, because it was expected. On the other hand, I am slightly disappointed because I was hopeful that Sen. Brown would continue to vote right on fiscal issues. You have to remember, Brown won that election by campaigning on two issues: health care and spending. Those are the issues the voters will expect him to stick two. My hopes were high that even if we got a bad vote on some of the social issues, that at least he would stand strong on spending. Unfortunatley, calling the bill a "jobs" bill and the handful of other Republicans who voted for the bill gave him cover to cast a yes vote.

In the long run, Brown shouldn't be chastized too much for his vote. After all, we still need him on other issues and other votes. We have to chock this one up to being a Republican from Massachusetts (a far sight better than a Democrat from Massachusetts).

Pence's CPAC Speech

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-22T15:02:15-06:00

Mike Pence's CPAC Speech--As Chicks on the Right said, "It's just flat awesome!"

Why Sarah Palin Should Have Been At CPAC

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-21T00:54:27-06:00

Melissa Clouthier hits the nail on the head:

If there are over 10,000 of the most dedicated grassroots activists for the conservative cause in one place, why would you miss it? That's a rhetorical question. You wouldn't miss it. CPAC was lit up with the energy not of old establishment types but the young, the restless and the politically active. You know those people who knock on doors and persuade? Yeah, that's who was at CPAC. Read more

I have been asked why Sarah Palin skipped CPAC more times than I can count now. The answer is...I don't know. She clearly doesn't have good advisors around her. Between the notes on her hand, her lackluster showing at the Tea Party Convention and her failure to show up at CPAC, Palin has had an awful lot of problems lately. She needs to ensure that she has competent people surrounding her if she wants to continue to be a player in national politics.

CPAC Interview with Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-21T00:09:30-06:00

Here's my interview with Rep. Steve King (R-IA). The background noise is bad in parts, but I've done all I can with my limited editing tools. Rep. King is a silent rockstar. He's not one of the flashy conservatives that are often mentioned, but he quietly votes right almost 100% of the time. It was a pleasure to dicuss spending, 2010/2012 and health care with him at CPAC.

AL-5 Candidate Les Phillip at CPAC

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-20T12:56:20-06:00

Robert Stacy McCain interviews Alabama Congressional District 5 Candidate Les Phillip at CPAC 2010

Interview with Brett McMahon

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-19T18:06:49-06:00

Brett McMahon is a conrete contractor and a member of the Associated Builders and Contractors. We discuss Obama's jobs bill, health care, the Employee Free Choice Act and the coming commercial real estate bust.

CPAC Day 2

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-19T13:35:47-06:00

Another great day at CPAC 2010. I've been so busy this morning that I haven't had a chance to write any blog entries. The best way to keep up with me is on Twitter @BrooklynRoberts.

Tim Pawlenty started the morning session with a basic "I'm running for President" stump speech. He took the opportunity to bash Obama, healthcare, Democrats, etc. Good speech, but not great in my opinion. Mike Pence hit the floor about an hour later and gave a phenomenal speech. He made T-Paw look like an amateur. Pence sounds like a man running for President. When asked if he was running later in the day his response was, "I'm not running, but I'm not not running." After his performance today, he could mount a credible campaign. CPAC attendees were really excited about Pence. The emcee said he thought it was the best speech ever given at CPAC.

I also had two interviews scheduled for today. One was with Brett McMahon who owns a concrete construction company, and the other with Rep. Steve King (R-IA). The videos will be up later today. I'm trying for an interview with Erick Erickson, founder of Red State a little later this afternoon. Also, Mike Pence is scheduled to be in the Blogger's Lounge at 3:30 today so I'll try to snag him for a minute.

Rush Limbaugh made a surprise appearance through live feed to award Ed Morrissey of Hot Air the Best Blogger at CPAC award. The crowd went predictably wild at the sight of Rush. The best panel at CPAC was held this afternoon: Does Security Trump Liberty? with Viet Dinh, Jim Gilmore, Bob Barr and Dan Lungren. I love that CPAC is not just a pep rally, but has serious policy debates--that's what differentiates it from other conservative conferences.

I'll be doing a live update from CPAC on Lee Davis' radio show today at 4:30 CT. The station is 101.1 FM The Source. If you miss it, I'm going to do a recap of the entire conference on Monday.

Reflections About CPAC Day 1

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-18T19:23:05-06:00

Overall, it was a good day for conservatives at CPAC. We started off with a big bang in Marco Rubio and Jim DeMint. These two men are the example of what most conservatives want in a legislator. There was definitely A LOT of enthusiasm for Rubio. Who would have guessed when Rubio announced his candidacy in Florida that he would pose a serious challenge to Gov. Charlie Crist? Not many people. The NRSC jumped in and endorsed Crist early and you know they have to be kicking themselves now. If Rubio pulls off a win in Florida, it will be a huge victory for conservatives everywhere. It sends the message that conservative candidates CAN win and we don't have to resort to squishy moderates to do so.

As CPAC continued, attendees were in for a few surprises. Liz Cheney brought her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney, along with her to the podium; and Sen. Scott Brown made an unexpected appearance to introduce Mitt Romney. Cheney and Brown got the loudest cheers of the day.

Obviously, presidential politics are on everyone's mind. There were Draft Cheney 2012 stickers floating around, and when Sen. Scott Brown showed up the crowed briefly chanted Romney/Brown 2012. Of course there's the yearly straw poll conducted by CPAC. The ballot consists of Haley Barbour, Mitch Daniels, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Mike Pence, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, John Thune or "other." A significant amount of people were grumbling about Senator Jim DeMint's name being left off the ballot. CPAC will announce the results on Saturday.

Speaking of Sen. DeMint, I was lucky enough to get a picture made with him when he took a stroll through the Blogger's Lounge:

Picture quality is poor. I'm guessing it's because of the bad lighting. I was just happy to stand next to the man.

There's certainly a lot of enthusiasm among attendees this year. I think that is in large part because the mood across the country seems to be shifting to the right. Republicans have won several key elections in the last year and things are looking good for the mid-terms. The largest debate amongst the conservative activists at CPAC seems to be over how we ensure our party sticks to true conservative principles of limited government and fiscal restraint once they win back the majority. They are certainly right to be worried. It hasn't been that long ago that Republicans held both houses of Congress and the Presidency and we all know how that turned out...

Dick Cheney, Scott Brown and Mitt Romney

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-18T13:06:21-06:00

Liz Cheney, who was slated to speak, had a surprise in store for CPAC attendees. She brought along her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney. The crowd went wild chanting Cheney, Cheney. There's even a "Draft Cheney 2012" movement here. Cheney himself got the crowd excited when he said, "a welcome like that almost makes me want to run for office," but then quickly disappointed by saying "but I won't."

Next, Jay Sekulow got up to introduce Mitt Romney. Rumors had been floating around that newly elected Senator Scott Brown would do the introduction, but that looked doubtful when Sekulow took the stage. The crowd got another big surprise when Sekulow introduced Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) instead. The crowd again went wild. Brown got almost as many applause as Dick Cheney. There were cheers in the crowd for Romney/Brown 2012.

Romney gave a speech typical of a presidential candidate. He really went after Obama, attacking his policies and his personality. He rolled out his three pillars: Strengthening our Economy, Strengthening our Security and Strengthening our Families. Good amount of applause, but not like Brown or Cheney's. The results of the straw poll should be interesting this year.

CPAC 2010 Saving Freedom

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-18T09:56:09-06:00

CPAC 2010 is underway. Getting the wireless key on bloggers row was an hour plus ordeal, but I'm finally up and running. This year's theme is Saving Freedom and we definitely started with a bang. Marco Rubio opened and demonstrated why he has become a superstar of Republican candidates. He strongly emphasized personal responsibility. Next up was Jim DeMint. DeMint delivered a strong conservative message. Lots of great one-liners.

"Battle is between American people and the Democrats. I like those odds.Of Rubio: I could use a guy like that in the US SenateWhen the Constitution was signed it did not even allow a federal income tax--that sounds like a good way to limit the size of the federal governmentEvery elected official takes an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. It’s time they started living up to that.People in Washington are too willing to give up freedom for earmarks and kickbacks.I’d rather have 30 Marco Rubio’s in the Senate than 60 Arlen Specter’s.I believe in holding Republicans in Congress accountable to conservative principles.You can’t govern from a teleprompter.We need a leader who will remind Americans how we became the greatest nation"

Ongoing: Panel--Saving Freedom For Future Generations

They are expecting 10,000 people at CPAC this year--a record for the conference. There's a lot of enthusiasm in the crowd. Definitely a feeling that the tide is turning against the Democrats and Government in general. I'll keep updating as things happen.

CPAC Days 2 and 3

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-17T16:52:06-06:00

Not a lot going on yet in the way of politics. The buzz in DC seems to be all about Evan Bayh's resignation and what that means for Democrats in 2010. With Congress out things are still fairly quiet in our nation's capitol.

On a more personal note, I had fun yesterday catching up with old friends and coworkers. Shana, Austin, Steve and I hit the Dubliner last night for good Irish music and beer. Today, we attended Grover Norquist's traditional Wednesday Meeting where I got my picture made with the Joe Scarborough. Joe delivered a great message and did so with a lot of style. A potential presidential candidate maybe??? He's certainly articulating the conservative message much better than most Republicans are right now.

After the Wednesday Meeting, we had lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill (a DC landmark), and then took in a little culture at the National Gallery of Art. Before hitting the museum, Austin, Shana and I took the requisite picture of the White House, and got stopped by a motorcade whose passenger bore a strong resemblance to VP Biden.

Tonight, we are hitting La Tasca for some authentic Spanish-style tapas and then stopping by several of the pre-CPAC events.

The fun starts tomorrow so watch for some good updates!

CPAC Trip Day 1

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-15T23:48:43-06:00

Lots of snow in DC. Lots. Austin, Shana and I braved the cold and the snow to do some sightseeing today. It's the first real trip to DC for both of them. Ate a great meal tonight at Bistro du Coin. I love French food and this was authentic. I hope the rest of the week plays out as well.

Here's the townhouse where we're staying:

Some snow shots of DC:

BTW-The above photo is of the reflecting pool in front of the Capitol-one hundred percent iced over.

Where Is Alabama AG Troy King?

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-15T10:17:25-06:00

A little humor to start your Monday off right...

Mazie and Bella in the snow

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-12T14:39:04-06:00

I couldn't resist the gratuitous dog video. These are my girls Mazie and Bella.

Birmingham Planned Parenthood Sting

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-11T18:32:36-06:00

Pro-abortion advocates are always quick to jump on any attempt to regulate abortions claiming violations of constitutional rights. Despite their objections courts have ruled that some restrictions on abortions are okay--parental consent laws for minors being one of the allowed regulations. Planned Parenthood in Birminham apparently decided that the law was only a rough guide and didn't have to be strictly adhered to.

After a sting operation in which a young activist posed as a 14 year-old girl who needed a "secret abortion" because she had gotten pregnant by her 31 year-old boyfriend, a video caught a Planned Parenthood staffer attempting to help her find someone to grant consent. When it became clear there was no one, the staffer told the girl the clinic "sometimes bends the rules." More info on that can be found here.

The video was submitted to state officials and sparked an audit of Planned Parenthood by the State Dept. of Health. The findings were not good:

But state health officials found that nine minors, ages 13-15, had received abortions at the Birmingham Planned Parenthood without proper verification of consent since November 2008. They also cited problems with the reporting of suspected sexual abuse. One of the 13-year-olds who received an abortion said she starting having sex at age 12. She was back at the clinic for another abortion four months later.

Planned Parenthood was put on probation for one year and required to come up with a plan to fix the reporting problems within their organization. On probation the clinic is subject to more frequent audits and may lose their license if the reporting problems are not corrected.

I personally think probation was much too lenient. Sadly, there are few restrictions on abortions in this country and clinics that provide the services cannot even abide by those. The parental consent law is in place to protect the minor who could not have any other kind of surgical procedure without their parent's consent (with the exception of emergency medical treatment). If for some reason the minor does not feel she can inform her parents of her decision (such as in the case of sexual absue, etc), there are judicial bypass options that allow that consent to be waived.

What's even more egregious in this story is Planned Parenthood's failure to report suspected sexual abuse. The 13 year-old was likely the victim of a crime and Planned Parenthood had not only a legal, but a moral and ethic duty to report it. Why would Planned Parenthood have a problem reporting suspected cases of sexual abuse? They purport to be looking out for the rights of the minor/woman when they fight for the right to perform abortions on demand. They certainly weren't protecting the rights of this 13 year-old girl.

This is a sad, sad story and I'm afraid it is all too common in abortion clinics across the country. When will people understand that the law is THE LAW and that doesn't mean that it is a rough guideline for you to follow when it's convenient. For too long we have let legislators, Presidents, judges and others twist, bend and break the Constituion of the United States causing the American public to question whether laws actually mean anything anymore. We must get back to the rule of law in this country if we are to continue to be a free society.

Update on AL Legislature

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-11T12:53:24-06:00

Gambling has been the big issue this week in the AL Senate. On Tuesday, SB380 passed out of the Tourism Committee. No surprise there--the committee is stacked with pro-gambling legislators. The bill had it's second reading on Tuesday and many speculated it would be brought up for a vote on Thursday. It was not put on the special order calendar for today, and Sen. Lowell Barron said they would debate it on Tuesday. Sen. Del Marsh attempted to substitute the gambling bill on the special order calendar in order to force a vote. The gambling interests are estimated to be two votes short today--one due to Sen. Kim Benefield being absent today (I believe her husband was in a car wreck last night) and the other due to the waivering of Sen. Mark Keahey. Keahey, who represents Atmore, is reportedly getting a little twitchy on the bill because of pressure from the indian gaming interests in his district.

I'm hearing that as of now, the Republicans believe they have enough votes to stop the bill from passing. However, the gambling interests would not bring the bill to the floor without being absolutely sure they had the votes to pass it. We'll have to wait and see what happens on Tuesday.

Sen. Lowell Barron informed the body that Sen. Ted Little's PACT bill would be on the special order calendar. I will be watching for a vote.

A few weeks ago I mentioned HB81, a bill that allows persons charged or convicted of certain felony or misdemeanor criminal offenses to petition the court in which the charges were filed or in which the conviction occured to have his or her record expunged. The Senate verson of that bill, SB178 sponsored by Sen. Smitherman, did not garner enough votes today to overcome the BIR.

The Senate spent the morning working on Sunset bills (mostly boards or commissions that have to be reauthorized every year). Sen. Scott Beason introduced an amendment to each of the Sunset bills that prevents illegal immigrants from serving on those boards or commissions.

I'll continue to update as this very fluid situation changes.

Martha Roby Reaches NRCC's Young Guns Status

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-10T18:25:05-06:00

The NRCC announced today that Congressional District 2 candidate Martha Roby has reached Young Guns status. According to the press release Young Guns is

the top tier of the Committee’s three-level Young Guns recruitment program. These candidates have reached the third and final step by establishing a clear path to victory through their ability to build a formidable campaign structure and achieve important goals and benchmarks.

Other candidates named are:

Steve Chabot (OH-01)
Tim Griffin (AR-02)
Andy Harris (MD-01)
Pat Meehan (PA-07)
Steve Pearce (NM-02)
Martha Roby (AL-02)
Dennis Ross (FL-12)
Steve Stivers (OH-15)
Vaughn Ward (ID-01)
Allen West (FL-22)

Congrats to Martha Roby for all her hard work!!
You can learn more about Martha and or contribute to her campaign by going here: http://www.martharoby.com/

AL House "Indefinitely Postponed" Charter School Bill

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-10T15:09:16-06:00

The House Education Appropriations Committee voted today to "indefinitely postpone" a vote on the charter school bill. This effectively kills the bil for this session. The best hope of passing a charter school law seems to be in a special session of the legislature.

Vote was 13-2

Voting to "indefinitely postpone" were: Lindsey, Rogers, Bentley, Boothe, Buskey, Graham, Greeson, Kennedy, McLaughlin, Oden, Spicer, Taylor, and Thomas.

Voting to take a vote on the charter school bill were: Reps. Mac Gipson and Mary Sue McClurkin.

Thanks to Reps. Mac Gipson and Mary Sue McClurkin for standing up to Paul Hubbert and the AEA. Their commitment to bettering education in Alabama is much appreciated.

The only strange vote was Rep. Robert Bentley, who is also a Republican Gubernatorial candidate. It was not a wise move for Dr. Bentley in a republican primary where most voters favor more school choice.

First Statewide Poll Numbers

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-09T10:58:35-06:00

Public Strategy Associates just released the first statewide poll numbers:

1007 likely Republican voters:

Governor's Race:

Bradley Byrne 20%
Moore 17%
James 8%
Bentley 4%
Ivey 3%
Johnson 2%
Undecided 46%

Attorney General's:

Troy King 27%
Luther Strange 24%
Undecided 49%

Presidential Poll:

Mike Huckabee: 33%
Sarah Palin: 23%
Mitt Romney 12%
Ron Paul 5%
Tim Pawlenty 2%
Undecided 24%

I don't know much about the polling--how questions were asked, what kind of polling list was used, etc., but there's not a whole lot of good news for anyone in this poll.

New Bradley Byrne TV Ad

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-08T15:04:55-06:00

Bradley Byrne just released a new tv ad:

This Girl Rocks!

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-06T23:13:25-06:00

Pia Varma is running for Congress in Pennsylvania's first Congressional District. She's not your typical candidate--she's only 27 years old and has no prior political experience. After a bad experience with the government (imagine that) she decided to get involved.

Varma became intimately acquainted with big government policies in Philadelphia two years ago when the Commerce Department shut down her and a business partner’s green-building proposal to revitalize vacant land in the Kensington. Varma witnessed the mismanagement of taxpayer money first-hand, stating, “I thought the city would welcome a green project, but a taxpayer funded program –The Industrial Empowerment Zone –stood in our way. It has failed to bring industry back, and succeeded only in blocking a project which could have helped the community and supported private business.” For Varma, The Industrial Empowerment Zone program is just another example of how big government impedes progress and hurts ordinary Americans.

You can visit her website at http://votepia.com

Luther Strange Super Bowl Ad

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-06T21:21:59-06:00

Democrats Kill Teacher Ethics Code

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-03T16:06:56-06:00

Yesterday, House Democrats voted to override Governor Riley's veto of legislation killing the Proposed Alabama Educator Code of Ethics approved by the State Board of Education last year.

Here's a summary of the ethics code from the Birmingham News:

The proposed code, among other things, would forbid harassing colleagues, using inappropriate language on school grounds, accepting gifts from vendors, having inappropriate contact with students and being under the influence of illicit drugs. The proposed code also says ethical conduct includes encouraging and respecting fellow educators. Violating the rules is grounds for disciplinary action.

A Legislative Council that convened last fall to consider incorporating the proposed ethics code into law, voted to block the process. Then, at the beginning of the legislative session, in a largely party line vote, Democrats passed legislation blocking the ethics code from becoming law. Last week, Governor Riley vetoed that legislation, and yesterday the House voted to override that veto. A veto can be overridden with 53 votes in the House and 18 votes in the Senate.

Those Representatives that voted against the override of the Governor's veto should be commended. Many of them will take a serious hit from AEA over this and I am grateful to them for doing the right thing.

Here's the roll call on yesterdays vote:

Member Vote
House District 40, Vacant P
Allen N
Baker (A) P
Baker (L) P
Ball P
Bandy P
Barton P
Beasley Y
Beck N
Beech Y
Bentley N
Black P
Boothe Y
Boyd Y
Bridges N
Buskey Y
Canfield N
Clouse N
Coleman P
Collier P
Curtis Y
Davis N
DeMarco N
Drake N
Dukes Y
England Y
Faust N
Fields Y
Fincher N
Ford P
Galliher P
Gaston N
Gipson N
Gordon Y
Graham Y
Grantland Y
Greeson Y
Grimes P
Guin Y
Hall Y
Hammett Y
Hammon N
Harper Y
Hill P
Hilliard Y
Hinshaw P
Holmes P
Howard Y
Hubbard N
Hurst Y
Irons Y
Ison N
Jackson Y
Johnson Y
Kennedy Y
Knight Y
Laird Y
Letson P
Lewis P
Lindsey Y
Love N
Martin A
Mask N
McAdory Y
McCampbell Y
McClammy Y
McClendon N
McClurkin N
McCutcheon P
McDaniel P
McLaughlin Y
McMillian N
Millican Y
Mitchell P
Moore (M) Y
Moore (P) N
Morrow Y
Newton (C) Y
Newton (D) Y
Oden Y
Page Y
Payne Y
Robinson (J) Y
Robinson (O) Y
Rogers Y
Salaam Y
Sanderford P
Scott Y
Sherer Y
Shiver P
Spicer A
Taylor Y
Thigpen Y
Thomas (E) Y
Thomas (J) Y
Todd Y
Treadaway N
Vance Y
Ward P
Warren Y
White Y
Williams (J) N
Williams (P) N
Wood (P) P
Wren P

Total Yea: 53
Total Nay: 25
Total Abs: 2

Y= Yea
N= Nay
A= Abstain
P= Pass (Not Voting or Not Present)

Quote of the Day

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-02T20:08:31-06:00

Today's Quote of the Day comes from the infamous Rep. Alvin Holmes:

"Mr. Speaker, I just spoke with Senator Shelby and I have nominated you to be the ambassador to Argentina."

I couldn't make this stuff up. What would we do without Rep. Alvin Holmes? Things would be a lot less interesting...

Update on Florida Senate Race

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-01T12:18:45-06:00

In a victory for conservatives everywhere, the lastest Rasmussen poll has Marco Rubio up 12 points over Charlie Crist!

Former state House Speaker Marco Rubio has now jumped to a 12-point lead over Governor Charlie Crist in Florida’s Republican Primary race for the U.S. Senate.A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of likely GOP Primary voters in the state finds Rubio leading Crist 49% to 37%. Three percent (3%) prefer another candidate, and 11% are undecided.

Rubio is doing a moneybomb like Scott Brown did. The deadline is Feb. 10, 2010. His goal is $200,000. If you'd like to help him get there visit the website here.

Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Johnson Looking For Alabama's "Dirtiest Jobs"

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-02-01T12:06:12-06:00

It's no secret that I love to follow politics so it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that I signed up for updates from all the gubernatorial campaigns early on. This morning I got this email from the Bill Johnson for Governor Campaign:

JOHNSONS LOOKING FOR ALABAMA'S DIRTIEST JOBS "We want to identify the dirtiest jobs in Alabama and work alongside some of our hardest working families." "Too many public servants have either forgotten what it's like to work their fingers to the bone trying to make ends meet, or they never knew to begin with." Montgomery, AL, Feb 1, 2010 - GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Johnson and his wife are looking for jobs. Not just any jobs--they want to find Alabama's dirtiest jobs. "Last Friday, Kathy and I spent the night in homeless shelters and recovery centers to better understand the challenges and potential consequences of losing jobs, homes and families. People really are hurting--some through poor decisions they've made, and yet others who simply have hit really hard times and have no where to turn. There is a real misconception of homelessness. Loss of employment, and subsequently losing shelter, can happen to anyone regardless of race, gender, age, intelligence level or socio-economic status. It was an eye-opening experience that will help us better understand the challenges and potential solutions to homelessness. "Having spent a brief amount of time sleeping in homeless shelters and recovery centers, we now turn to address the enormous challenges our working families are facing. Today, we kick off our 'Working with the People-Alabama's Dirtiest Jobs Tour.' "There are hard working people across Alabama that get up every day and make a contribution to their families, their communities and our State," explains Johnson. "We want to identify the dirtiest jobs in Alabama and work alongside them; and, in honor of the contributions they're making to their communities, we will also donate $250 to the selected families' charity of their choice. "Too many public servants have either forgotten what it's like to work their fingers to the bone trying to make ends meet, or they never knew to begin with. "Although Kathy and I have worked the past several years in management positions, we haven't forgotten, nor do we ever want to forget, what true, hard, physical labor is-the kind of work in which our men and women leave work with dirt under their nails and aches in their muscles. That's what tens of thousands of Alabamians do every day in order to support their families. We want to get out there with them and let them know we understand what they're going through." "We truly believe that public officials have forgotten their role. It's to connect with, listen to and serve the people, plain and simple. Kathy and I can relate to the hard-working families of this State, and we want them to know we understand their challenges. We intend to represent all the people of Alabama--not just the elite, and we commit to spending time with, listening to and connecting with people from all walks of life. "One of the things that sets us apart from the other candidates is that we both came from large families where money was tight and pay checks were small. My dad was career military and had six children to feed. Kathy came from a family of five children with a disabled dad. Before either of us ever hit our teenage years, we had jobs, responsibilities and contributed financially to our families. Our hearts will always go out to people who are struggling to balance tight budgets, put food on the table and find a way to educate their children. That's just who we are and what we stand for-hard work and contributing to family, community and country." Anyone who wants to recommend a 'dirty job' for the Johnsons' "Working with the People-Alabama's Dirtiest Jobs Tour" can do so by sending an e-mail with details to anthony@billjohnson.org or by calling the Johnson for Governor Campaign Headquarters at (334) 328-3823. ### Bill Johnson, former director of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) is a Republican Candidate for Alabama Governor in 2010. Johnson has been a member of Governor Riley's cabinet since 2005 and led Riley's grassroots efforts for his successful races for Congress in 1998 and Governor in both 2002 and 2006. He was the Governor's representative on the Appalachian Regional Authority (a 13-state coalition) and the Delta Regional Authority (an 8-state regional effort). Johnson has worked with state and local-level economic and workforce development efforts; was instrumental in launching the Black Belt Action Commission, of which he was director during the program's initial two-years; was active in launching the Rural Action Commission; and was the impetus for development of the Community Prison Re-entry (CPR) Network. Johnson, the son of a career military and civil servant, is a native of Birmingham. He and his wife, Kathy, live in Prattville and are the parents of three children.

I don't think I've ever seen anything just like this in a campaign before.

Anyone else have any thoughts?

Comments On A Constitutional Rewrite

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-29T13:19:30-06:00

I was interviewed by CBS 42 on arguments for and against a constitutional rewrite in Alabama.

If you can't view the video the text of the article is here.

Byrne Wins Lee County GOP Straw Poll

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-28T21:29:27-06:00

BREAKING: Bradley Byrne Wins GOP Straw Poll

Kudos to Bradley Byrne for winning Lee County GOP straw poll tonight. He had a great debate performance and a much-deserved win. Here are the final numbers:

Byrne: 59%
Bentley: 16%
James: 15%
Ivey: 8%

Here are the actual numbers:

Byrne: 311
Bentley: 86
James: 79
Ivey: 42

Schoolhouse Rock On Out of Control Spending

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-25T20:23:34-06:00

I think this video should be required viewing for all members of Congress:

Alabama Legislative Update

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-21T16:11:40-06:00

Two ethics bills have passed the House:

1. Rep. Paul DeMarco's bill requiring mandatory ethics training and closing loopholes in the current ethics law.

2. Rep. Cam Ward/Alvin Holmes' bill to give the Alabama Ethics Commission subpoena power.

Senator Lowell Barron is pushing a constitutional amendment to raid the Alabama Oil and Gas Trust Fund to the tune of $1 billion over 10 years for road construction and repair. Republican Senators have been able to stall a vote thus far. The bill is SB 121.

Marcel Black's pro-gambling bill passed out of the Travel and Tourism Committee yesterday. This bill gives casino owners amnesty from paying taxes and amnesty from civil and criminal prosection for breaking state and federal laws. The bill has been amended to terminate in November so it's goal is to protect the casino owners until a constitutional amendment can be voted on. The constitutional amendment has not yet been introduced, but it is expected soon.

Economic Freedom Is Shrinking

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-21T15:55:13-06:00

The Heritage Foundation recently released it's 2010 Index of Economic Freedom. Not surprisingly, the United States has fallen from #6 to #8. CANADA has more economic freedom than we do!!

2010 Index of Economic Freedom

Even more disparaging are President Obama's comments today re: Bank Regulations. He wants to chip even more of that economic freedom away by regulating how large banks can get and stopping banks from proprietary trading, i.e.-hedge funds. This is in addition to his plan for a special tax on banks to pay for TARP. The tax will apply to all banks even those that didn't participate in TARP.

November 2010 can't come fast enough. I hope Republicans have learned their lesson on spending and regulating.

Hitler Finds Out Scott Brown Won

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-20T12:56:55-06:00

Funniest You Tube Video I have seen in a long long time. Thanks @StephenGordon for the link!

Legislative Update

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-19T23:13:06-06:00

What's going on in the legislature this week?

House Judiciary Committee will be considering HB 81 (England) which allows a person charged or convicted of certain felony or misdemeanor criminal offenses to petition the court in which the charges were filed or in which the conviction occured to have his or her record expunged. Certain conditions have to be met such as fulfilling all parole or probation requirements, at least three years must have passed since the conviction, and others. You cannot petition for expungement under this law if you have been convicted of a sexual offense involving a minor, you are a convicted sex offender, and other convictions laid out in the statue.

Proponents of the bill argue that everyone makes mistakes and people deserve a second chance. I have a serious problem with it for the following reason: Imagine you are the manager at a bank and you are responsible for hiring a new teller. Susie Q, who has previously been convicted of embezzeling money from her employer, applies for the job. This law will allow Susie to have her record wiped clean and she will not be required to disclose her conviction on her job application. Then assume you hire Susie Q. Several months later you discover money missing from your accounts. All of this could have been avoided if you would have known Susie had been convicted of embezzelment to start with. No one in their right mind would hire her to work with money. Now you are liable to your customers for the money she stole and possibly vulnerable to a civil suit for hiring her in the first place given her prior conviction.

This bill actually passed the legislature last year and Gov. Riley vetoed it. Hopefully it won't get to that point this year.

Rep. Paul DeMarco's ethics bill (HB 278) will be considered in the Judiciary Committee tomorrow morning as well.

Tomorrow afternoon the Tourism Committee will consider one of the pro-gambling bills, HB 154 sponsored by Rep. Marcel Black. The bill will grant amnesty for casino/electronic bingo operators from paying taxes--taxes they already owe and haven't paid--and exempt them from paying future taxes. It also grants casino/eletronic bingo operators immunity from both civil and criminal prosecution, even if they are fixing their machines in their favor. Finally, the bill will allow non-tribal operators to do as much as the tribal operators (Indians) even if what the Indians are doing is illegal under the Alabama law.

State Senator Lowell Baron is making a big push to raid the state's Oil and Gas Trust Fund to the tune of one billion dollars over the next ten years. I'm hearing from Republicans who are worried he has the votes, but since the bill is a constitutional amendment it will still have the pass a statewide vote of the people. Baron's actions are definitely consistent with Democrats nationwide--spend, spend, spend.

On a happier note, both the House and Senate have passed the State Sovereignty resolution declaring our rights under the 10th amendment to the Constitution. I suspect Democrats were willing to let this bill pass because it has no legal teeth. However, as more and more states begin to pass these types of 10th amendment resolutions, Washington will get a clear message that the states aren't just going to roll over and die.

I'll continue to update as I hear more.

Interview with Senator Steve French on Charter Schools

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-19T18:49:22-06:00

Check out my latest interview with Senator Steve French on Charter Schools.

Bradley Byrne Releases First Commercial

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-18T16:41:34-06:00

Gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne released his first commercial (in fact the first commercial of the election cycle) today:

Faith and Family

More News on the Apple Tablet

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-18T16:37:54-06:00

For all of my fellow Mac junkies here's some more news on the Apple Tablet:

Apple Fuels Buzz Over Tablet Computer

"The consensus is that the tablet will have a large screen, perhaps 10 inches on the diagonal, and run the same operating system as the iPhone and iPod, as opposed to the Mac computers.That means that it would be able to handle many of the more than 100,000 applications – or apps – that are designed to run on the smaller gadgets. A touchscreen would be a significant feature."

Can't wait!!

Welfare Recipients Now Eligible For Cell Phones

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-18T13:44:03-06:00

This really makes me sick. I don't even know what to say about it. Our society has taken entitlement to the nth degree. Before you know it welfare recipients will be entitled to nice cars and designer clothes.

Welfare Recipients Now Eligible For Cell Phones

Welfare recipients in approximately 20 states–with more to follow– are currently eligible to receive a free cell phone with a limited number of monthly minutes. All individuals that qualify for state or federal welfare–food stamps, Medicaid, etc.–and have an income at or below 135% of the poverty level, are eligible. According to a Fox News report, the cell phone service is currently the fastest growing welfare program in the country.Full story here.

Reminds me of the Benjamin Franklin quote: "When people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic."

Resisting the Statist Impulse

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-17T12:19:00-06:00

I read an article today that made me stop and think. Lawrence W. Reed writing for the Centre for Individual and Economic Liberty discusses his thoughts when first ecountering a smoking ban. Many states have now outlawed smoking in public places, and many Americans (even liberty loving ones) don't think twice about a law that allows them to avoid the rank smell of cigarette smoke. However, as Reed rightly points out smoking bans are statism at its best (or worst depending on how you look at it). From Reed's article:

A few months ago, I walked into a restaurant in Naples, Florida, and said, “A nonsmoking table for two, please.” The greeter replied, “No problem. All restaurants in Florida are nonsmoking by law. Follow me.”For a brief moment as we walked to our table, I thought to myself: “Good. No chance of even a whiff of a cigarette. I like that!”And then I felt shame. I had fallen victim to the statist impulse. For 40 years, I thought I was a passionate, uncompromising believer in the free society. Yet for a few seconds, I took pleasure in government trampling on the liberties of consenting adults in a private setting.This incident troubled me enough to think about it a long while. I wanted to know why my first instinct was to abandon principles for a little convenience. And if a committed freedom-lover like me can be so easily tugged in the wrong direction, what does that say for ever getting nonbelievers to eschew similar or more egregious temptations?

For the last couple of years, Sen. Vivian Figures (D) has introduced legislation in Alabama that would ban smoking in all public places including private offices. My coworkers and I had a discuss a while back on this specific legislation. As Reed encountered, the most common arguement I heard was:

"secondhand smoke harms other unwilling patrons and therefore must be banned"

I argued as does Reed that it is an infringement on the property rights of the owners of the establishments. I suggested they could choose not to patronize restaurants, etc that allowed smoking. Their reply was "but what if I want to go to a place that allows it but I don't want to have to smell smoke." I told her that that falls under the category of tough luck.

I find it interesting that so many freedom-loving conservatives are willing to go along with the smoking bans for their own comfort. I often wonder what happens when the populace finds some other habit it deems abhorent and decides the government needs to outlaw it. The slippery slope is getting icier. Now states like New York are considering bans on trans fat and higher taxes on soft drinks.

As Reed rightly points out, freedom is eroded one small bit at a time. When free people don't kick up a fuss about smoking bans, it sets the stage for the statists to come up with their next public health concern. Kind of reminds you of that old poem by Dr. Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out--because I was not a communist;Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out--because I was not a trade unionist;Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out--because I was not a Jew;Then they came for me--and there was no one left to speak out.

If we desire to remain a free people, we must constantly be on guard against the erosion of our liberty--no matter how small it seems. If we aren't, they will slowly chip away at that freedome until it no longer exists. So the next time you visit a restaurant with a smoking ban and sigh with relief, I hope you'll think about what it means for the bigger picture. As Reed so eloquently put it:

Societies rise or fall depending on how civil its citizens are. The more they respect each other and associate freely, the safer and more prosperous they are. The more they rely on force — legal or not — the more pliant they are in the hands of demagogues and tyrants. So resisting the statist impulse is no trivial issue.

Summary of Today's Legislative Activity

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-14T17:54:43-06:00

Here's what happened in Montgomery today:

The Senate passed a resolution congratulating the University of Alabama football team for winning a national championship (Roll Tide)
The House passed a resolution congratulating Mark Ingrahm for winning a Heisman Trophy (Roll Tide)
The State Board of Education unanimously passed a resolution urging the state legislature to adopt a charter school law for Alabama
The Senate passed a State Sovereignty resolution
The legislature continued to block the proposed Teacher's Code of Ethics claiming it is too subjective
Democrats rejected Governor Bob Riley's proposed state budget

Interview with Rep. Greg Canfield Part 2

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-14T17:48:25-06:00

Here's part 2 of my interview with Rep. Greg Canfield. We discuss state sovereignty, right to vote by secret ballot and Health Savings Accounts.

Interview with Rep. Greg Canfield Part 1

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-13T21:46:53-06:00

I spoke with Rep. Greg Canfield (R-Vestavia) today on legislation he is sponsoring in the current legislative session.

Candidate for Attorney General Luther Strange Makes Statement on Houston County Happenings

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-12T18:38:16-06:00

FYI for all of you following the Attorney General's race:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 12, 2010
Contact: Jessica Garrison, Campaign Manager 205-568-4371

Luther Strange Commends Houston County Officials, Warns Troy King Will Try to Have it Both Ways on Gambling

BIRMINGHAM, Ala-- Requests by leaders in Houston County for attorney general Troy King to litigate the legality of electronic bingo machines at Dothan's Country Crossing development are commendable calls for King to enforce the laws of the State of Alabama, according to Republican candidate for attorney general, Luther Strange.

“I’ve been calling on the attorney general for months to enforce the laws of the State not only in Dothan but in every city in Alabama where electronic casino style gambling is taking place, something Mr. King has consistently failed to do.

“According to news reports, Troy King has a tangled web of relationships with gambling owners and investors that some suggest have impeded his ability to enforce the law. In fact, Mr. King’s attendance at lavish parties and fundraisers thrown by the very people who he would be investigating certainly raises that question. Unfortunately, I suspect that Troy King will continue his practice of trying to have it both ways on this issue by refusing to enforce our existing laws and then endorsing some sort of legislation to outlaw gambling. “

"The issue of enforcing the laws of the state is not as complicated as Mr. King would like us to think. The answer is for Mr. King to listen to the people of Houston County, the governor, district attorneys, law enforcement officials and others and do the job the people elected him to do. Enforce the law," Strange said.

More Legislative News

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-12T18:20:49-06:00

HB 85 is a ban on PAC to PAC transfers. Anyone who knows anything about fundraising in Alabama knows PACs are routinely used to hide sources of funding in campaigns. This bill will force more transparency and let us know where the money is coming from.
*API has a great video explaining the game of PAC to PAC transfers:

Rep. Greg Canfield also has a bill that will take a stab at the Democrat's Employee Free Choice Act. HB 3 will guarantee individuals the right to vote by secret ballot. Fortunately we've been able to hold off the Employee Free Choice Act in Congress, but it's certainly not dead and this bill will hopefully give us a line of defense in the event it passes.

Representative and Gubernatorial Candidate Robert Bentley is introducing two abortion-related bills. One requires information and consent prior to the procedure, and the other is a constitutional amendment prohibiting abortion except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at stake.

Rep. Bridges is introducing a bill that will prevent colleges and universities from offering benefits to same sex couples.

Rep. Knight is once again trying to raise your taxes with his grocery sales tax bill (more information to come on this bill)

As more information on legislation rolls in, I'll be sure to post it here.

United Liberty Podcast Now Up

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-11T09:16:26-06:00

I had a chance to participate in my first podcast last Friday night. We covered lots of topics including:

the Dodd (D-CT) and Dorgan (D-ND) retirements and what they mean for the Democratic party
Obamacare being hashed out behind closed doors, and
the impact of free trade on our jobs and overall economy

You can download the podcast here.

Thanks to Brett Bittner and Jason Pye from United Liberty for having me on the podcast panel!
Podcast

Looking Ahead to the Coming Legislative Session

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-10T19:59:55-06:00

Here's an overview of legislation from the coming legislative session. Some of the data is not available yet (Charter Schools) but it covers the major legislation.

2010 Legislative Session

Rolling Reserve Budget Act (Canfield): This legislation will change the way we budget in Alabama. The legislature currently bases its budget on projections for next year’s revenue from the Legislative Fiscal Office. The erratic changes in ETF revenues from any given year to the next have resulted in projections and budgets that are prorated 30% of the time the legislature enacts a budget in Alabama. To address this problem Rep. Greg Canfield has proposed budgets be based on a 15 year rolling average. In years where the actual revenues exceed the rolling average the bill applies 80% of excess funds above what is necessary to maintain 30% of the ETF budget in the Budget Stabilization Fund to the unfunded liabilities in the TRS and PEEHIP retirement plans. The remaining 20% of those excess revenues flow into a capital fund for public education, increasing the funds available for construction and renovation of public schools.

HB 47 Alabama Health Care Freedom Act (Beason/Gipson): This bill would propose an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901 to preserve the freedom of Alabama residents to make decisions about and provide for their own healthcare.

Sovereignty Resolution (Canfield/Beason): This is a resolution that would declare Alabama's sovereignty under the 10th amendment. It requires a copy of the resolution be sent to Alabama's Congressional Delegation and the President. It's a great symbolic statement to make.

SB 202 Alabama Innovative Charter Schools Act (French): This bill would provide for the creation of charter schools authorized by registered local school boards and the State Board of Education under certain conditions.

Gambling Ban (Beason): This bill is a constitutional amendment banning all forms of gambling, even paper bingo. The people of Alabama will only have the option to vote to make bingo illegal. If the vote fails we keep the status quo.

Ethics Reform Bill (DeMarco): Rep. Paul DeMarco is introducing legislation to close some of the loopholes in our ethics laws—including mandatory ethics training for legislators and electronic filing requirements.

Ethics Commission Subpoena Power (Ward): This legislation will grant subpoena power to the Alabama State Ethics Commission. Currently, all other state boards possess this power including the Alabama Cosmetology Board and the Alabama Board of Licensed Massage Therapists.

Medicare Fraud (DeMarco): This bill will require online disclosures to be posted from the Medicaid office so that Alabamians will have access to where their money is going. It will also close loopholes regarding liability for corporations and LLC’s. Finally, it will change the wording of Alabama’s Medicaid fraud law to reflect the ruling by the court on the unconstitutionality of Florida’s strict liability wording.

Slot Machine Stiffer Penalties (Beason): Sen. Scott Beason will introduce a bill to impose stiffer penalties for operators of bingo halls with illegal slot machines. Specifically this bill will make it a felony to have 20 or more illegal slot machines at a venue.

Conscience Bill (Bentley): This legislation will provide a conscience exception for health care providers and pharmacists who believe in the sanctity of life and choose not to perform procedures or provide medication that do not comply with that belief.

HB 48 Firearms Protection Act (Gipson): This bill would exempt from federal regulation under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition manufactured and retained within the borders of Alabama.

Ethics Reform (Gov. Riley's bill): Gov. Riley has a more comprehensive bill than Rep. DeMarco. His ethics reform package includes a ban on PAC to PAC transfers and other major ethics initiatives that may be hard to pass.

Cam Ward ReCaps Education Budget

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-10T16:03:14-06:00

Cam Ward has recapped some of the numbers regarding Alabama's education budget on Doc's Political Parlor. Most staggering to me are the following numbers:

The cost of retirement benefits for all education personnel went from $300 million in 2004 to an estimated $780 million in 2010.
Overall the cost of the entire health insurance benefits package for education employees will cost $960 million in 2010.
From 2005 to 2010 the state saw the cost of health insurance per education employee go from $6,996 to $9,024 per employee.

Alabama teachers have one of the best benefits packages in the nation. The state MUST do something to address the rising costs. Raising taxes is not an option--especially in this economy. Cuts are going to have to be made. I just hope legislators will face the cold, hard facts.

You Know You're In Trouble When...

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-08T11:42:56-06:00

Great video from a former Obama supporter on the Health Care bill. When people like this who worked to elect him start making YouTube videos exposing his hypocrisy and calling him out on his broken promises, you know things are bad.

Obama's Fiscal Fantasy World

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-07T08:19:36-06:00

Karl Rove has a good op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal entitled Obama's Fiscal Fantasy World. He notes the debate over what to do what repaid TARP funds which are legally required to be used to reduce the deficit, but Democrats are salivating over as more money to spend.

Mr. Obama is thinking of tapping another pocket of cash. Now that the banks are repaying—with interest and dividends—the $240 billion the Bush administration lent them, the Obama administration is considering recycling those dollars into new spending on "green" technology and more stimulus, despite provisions Congress wrote into the law creating the Troubled Asset Relief Program that requires that repaid TARP funds be used exclusively for deficit reduction.

Everyone knows that once Congress has its hands on money it NEVER gives it back. But the TARP dilemma will be especially fun to watch Democrats try to navigate in an election year. According to most polls moderate Democrats and Independents are overwhelming concerned about spending, jobs and the economy. This seems to be a situation where you give the liberals enough rope and they'll hang themselves with it.

More on the Democrats' Exodus

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-06T20:01:40-06:00

IBD has a good editorial on the Democrats increasingly dire prospects:

The Democrats' Sinking Ship

The back-to-back Senate retirements of Byron Dorgan and Chris Dodd may be just the beginning. The people have seen the future of health care reform and found it doesn't work. Apres moi, le deluge.We don't know what the Mayan calendar says about 2010, but it's starting to look like the end of the world for Democratic electoral prospects. Americans who watched in shock as government tried to step between them and their doctors, may have the last laugh. The tea party isn't over until the angry mob votes.

Democrats Exiting En Masse

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2010-01-06T11:19:15-06:00

With today's announcements re: Dodd, Dorgan and Ritter's retirement and the recent defection of Rep. Parker Griffith, Democrats are looking more and more vulnerable in 2010. (Hat tip to Erick Erickson of Red State for calling it a "crimson tide")

Recent polling shows Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Evan Bayh of Indiana in trouble. In addition, the latest polls from the Senate race in Massachusetts now show Republican Candidate Scott Brown pulling within single digits of Democrat Martha Coakley. Massachusetts is not exactly a bastion of conservative values. If Scott Brown wins, the game will really change.

Democrats seem to be getting the message that 2010 will not be a good year for them. Unfortunately for them, President Obama doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. He and Pelosi/Reid continue to shove unpopular legislation down the throats of the American people. Wonder how long it will take Democrats to turn on their messiah?

AG Candidate Luther Strange's Statement on Health Care Monstrosity

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-31T15:08:25-06:00

As many of you know I'm a big fan of Attorney General candidate Luther Strange. He released this statement today on Congress' Health Care Monstrosity:

"As most of us were enjoying the holidays with our friends and loved ones, Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats were wheeling and dealing in backroom bribes to pass the healthcare bill - a monstrosity unlike any other and one that runs afoul of the fundamental rights afforded to us by the Constitution. We are a country founded on individual liberty and personal responsibility. The healthcare bill takes away our freedom of choice to purchase health in surance by mandating that individuals buy health insurance or else face fines and other penalties. Unfortunately, overreaching, unconstitutional mandates from Washington are far too common occurrences these days. President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the Democrats in Washington think that federal power and government intrusion are the solution to all of our problems. We know better. Thankfully, we have dedicated public servants like Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, who is standing up to Washington and leading the effort to challenge the constitutionality of the Democrats’ healthcare legislation. While we should support any move to stop this illegal takeover of healthcare, we need to move beyond challenging the fairness of Medicaid payments and challenge the legality of individual mandates as well as the entire takeover of our healthcare system."

SCOTUS Deals Government a Much-Needed Blow

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-31T12:32:51-06:00

Today the US Supreme Court handed down a summary decision that basically said the government cannot take a troubled companies assets and apportion them among unsecured creditors, ignoring the claims of secured creditors. In other words, The US Government cannot take over Chrysler’s assets and give preference to UAW over its secured creditors.

Dr. Melissa Clouthier has a good summary:

SCOTUS Deals Socialism and Therefore, Obama, a Blow

Riley Asks State Board of Education to Endorse Charter Schools

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-22T19:16:12-06:00

I’m glad to see Governor Riley getting serious about education reform in Alabama. Charter schools have more momentum now than they’ve ever had. Several leaders in the black community are supporting Sen. French’s effort in the Senate, and I’ve heard rumors that a member of the black caucus may carry the bill in the House.

Unfortunately, Paul Hubbert and the AEA are doing everything they can to make sure the state legislature doesn’t let a bill pass.

This is definitely an issue to watch in the coming legislative session.

Conservatives Not Ready To Embrace Party-Switcher

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-22T18:55:19-06:00

I am quoted in this article about conservative’s hesitance to embrace Griffith :

Conservatives Not Ready to Embrace Party-Switcher

Update on the FL Senate Race

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-22T14:11:25-06:00

More bad news today for Charlie Crist in the Florida senate race. Reps. Lincoln and Diaz-Balart withdraw their endorsements.

Crist’s poll numbers are sinking as Rubio’s are rising. In fact, they are polling evenly now.

Rubio is the true conservative in the race. People are finally realizing that Crist is just another RINO. The picture of him hugged up with Pres. Obama certainly helped.

Rubio needs your help. Go to www.marcorubio.com and say Merry Christmas with a campaign donation!

More on the Griffith Switch

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-22T12:44:59-06:00

Here’s what ALRLC’s Steve Gordon had to say:

“From my perspective, this clearly shows there is blowback from the Democrat’s legislative overreach in DC. Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama are now having to pay a political price for shoving their agenda down our throats.
“However, what seems to be a GOP victory at first may well become another liberal victory in the long term. Unless Parker Griffith starts voting like a true fiscal conservative, Alabama could be stuck with another entrenched big-government Republican congressman.
“Welcome to the party, Parker. Here’s an electronic copy of the Constitution. Read it well, as you will have to continue to dodge us if you continue to disregard it.”

Here’s what the Club For Growth said:
Alabama is a run-off state, so Griffith will have to go head-to-head against a seasoned Republican if he wants to stay in office (assuming he doesn't get 50% of the vote right off the bat).

Griffith's voting record is far from conservative, too. Granted, he voted against the Big 4 - Obama's first budget, the Stimulus, Cap and Trade, and ObamaCare. However, his vote on the budget is slightly deceptive since he originally voted for 9 of the 12 spending bills that make up the budget. And he voted against all the Stimulus amendments that would reduce its size.

But just a quick perusal of 2009 shows that he voted YES on the 2009 pork-filled Omnibus; YES on Cash for Clunkers, NO on waiving the harmful Davis-Bacon provision, and had a pathetic 0% score on the 2009 RePORK Card.

This party switch signals Griffith's nervousness, but it doesn't signal that his incumbency is safe.

Re: The Parker Griffith Switch

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-22T12:36:49-06:00

The big news today is Rep. Parker Griffith’s (AL-5) switch from Democrat to Republican. Like many others, I think this is indicative of the backlash against Obama and the Democrats and a good harbinger for Republicans in 2010.

As far as Griffith goes, switching parties doesn’t make him conservative. His voting record stands on its own. Yes, he voted against the so-called “Big Bills” (i.e. Stimulus, Omnibus Budget, Cap and Trade, and Health Care), but he also voted FOR 9 of the 12 appropriations bills in the budget. He voted FOR Nancy Pelosi as Speaker, and FOR cash for clunkers. If Griffith wants to become a Republican his voting record shows he’s going to have a lot of work to do.

My biggest concern with the switch is that we will wind up with another big government Republican who likes to bring pork back to his district and is impossible to get out of office. Both of the Republican candidates in AL-5 are solid conservatives. Unfortunately, Mo Brooks and Les Phillip will both have to raise a lot of money to compete with Griffith’s war chest.

The Promise of Charter Schools

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-18T14:15:03-06:00

Senator Steve French and API’s Michael Ciamarra have a great article on charter schools in today’s Legislative Update:

The Promise of Charter Schools

“Alabama has a tremendous opportunity to quickly improve the quality of education outcomes in the state. If we want to answer the questions, “What does Alabama have to do to succeed in the next five to ten years?’ and “What do we want our education outcomes to look like in five to ten years?” with bold vision, it is obvious we need to take dramatic actions. Preparing our students for meaningful lives and 21st century challenges cannot be accomplished within the constraints of our current one-size-fits all public school model.”

Welcome!

Brooklyn@alabamaeagle.org — 2009-12-18T10:33:54-06:00

I’m finally joining the blogosphere! Since I am a total political junkie most of the posts here will be about politics, current events, etc. Feel free to comment--I love discourse.

Now for my official disclaimer: The views expressed on this blog are not endorsed by Eagle Forum of Alabama. These are my own personal thoughts and opinions and should not be in any way construed as statements made by the organization.