alabama politics
Republican Handshake With Alabama
16/08/10 11:10
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.
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.
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Martha Roby on WSFA Newsmakers
23/07/10 14:16
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.
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.
Ron Sparks Wants to Regulate
12/07/10 10:30
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
10/07/10 18:46
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...
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
10/07/10 18:38
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.
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
07/07/10 10:08
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
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
06/07/10 15:15
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.
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?
02/07/10 12:01
This ad has been appearing on several people's Facebook pages as of late.
Be interesting to know who was running them...
Be interesting to know who was running them...
Update on CD2
30/06/10 20:10
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.
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.
Dr. Bentley's Voting Record
27/06/10 11:57
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
25/06/10 14:56
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.
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)
24/06/10 12:08
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..."
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?
21/06/10 09:55
The Long And Short Of The AG Race
03/06/10 14:22
A Post Mortem On The Primary Elections
03/06/10 08:25
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 |
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: |
