The World Around You

They enjoyed camping out on the steps of the Alabama Judicial building, they’re ready to try out the steps of the US Capitol,

Supporters of the Ten Commandments will stage a protest at the U.S. Capitol similar to the one that drew hundreds to the Alabama Judicial Building last month if Congress doesn’t act this week to display the commandments, church leaders said Sunday.

Patrick Mahoney, head of the Christian Defense Coalition, made the comments at a rally held on the State Capitol steps to launch a caravan to Washington promoting the Ten Commandments.

“If we have to peacefully risk arrest to get this done, then so be it,” Mahoney said after the rally. “That’s how passionate we are about this issue.”

The caravan started in Montgomery, where last month hundreds of people gathered in support of a 5,300-pound Ten Commandments monument placed in the state judicial building by now-suspended Chief Justice Roy Moore. A federal judge ordered its removal, ruling that it was an unconstitutional endorsement of religion by government.

The reaction in Washington ought to be interesting. I would think the counter-rallies will be much more robust, but I could be wrong.

Sallie Owen from the Mobile Register has done an excellent job of investigative reporting on the “Recall Riley” ads. Unfortunately, all roads lead to a dead end on who actually placed the ads and why, Stan Pate even did some investigating of his own

Pate said Friday that he has been trying to track down those behind the recall Web site.

He ticked off his findings: The site is registered to M.J. Humphries, 1106 15th Court, Tuscaloosa, an address Pate said does not exist. An online search performed by the Register indicated that the 15th Court address was valid two years ago, but no M.J. Humphries could be found. A phone number listed with the domain name rings in the office of media buyers David and Brenda Bagley, according to Pate. The site was designed by a company called Locust Creek, but no client information was available on the company’s site, he said. The ad’s disclaimer names Deborah Shelton on Matthews Street in Huntsville, Pate said.

…

Brenda Bagley told the Mobile Register on Friday that she purchased the recall radio ads for a client named Deborah Shelton in Huntsville. Bagley said the transaction was done by phone. Bagley said she was unhappy that her phone number was listed in the Web site domain registration information.

Reached Friday afternoon by the Mobile Register, a Deborah K. Shelton who lives on Matthews Street in Huntsville said she had no tie to the ads.

No Shelton at a street address supplied to the Register by Brenda Bagley could be located.

Mysterious.