The World Around You

Sen. Richard Shelby and Rep. Bud Cramer, along with two other US Senators, were in a plane that was fired upon during their visit to Iraq. Talk about firsthand experience…

Plane Carrying U.S. Lawmakers Is Shot At in Iraq - New York Times

UPDATE: Doc quotes from Rep. Cramer’s press release

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Alabama Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb is continuing on her mission to have a drug court in every county. I applaud her efforts and continue to hope that it will be implemented well, rather than just broadly.

Cobb: Alabama ahead in drug court goal with 25 new ones planned - NewsFlash - al.com

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For those who need a prime example of the danger with PAC-to-PAC transfers, see Birmingham Mayor Bernard Kincaid. According to this morning’s Birmingham News, 96% of his campaign dollars come through attorney Donald Watkins. Does anyone else think that is kind of dangerous?

Kincaid’s campaign has one big contributor- al.com

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A second Montgomery Wal-Mart was targeted with a bomb threat yesterday, which appear to be just two in a series of threats across the nation.

Frightened workers have wired thousands of dollars — and in one case took off their clothes — to placate a caller who said he was watching them but may have been thousands of miles away. The FBI and police said Wednesday they are investigating similar bomb threats at more than 15 stores in at least 11 states — all in the past week.

FBI investigates string of store threats - Yahoo! News

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The results are in for the first poll in the Alabama Senate race, and I’m pleasantly surprised. 37% for Ms. Figures is a strong starting number. The concern is that 30% of Alabama Democrats polled would cross over to vote for Sessions. However, the encouraging sign is that Figures polls strong among women, only 8 points separates the candidates in that category, which is within the margin of error.

SurveyUSA poll on Sessions v. Figures - Sweet Home Potomac - al.com

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Nick Bailey was not able to get his sentenced reduced, so the former Siegelman aide will begin serving his prison sentence in a few weeks.

Judge affirms 18-month sentence of Siegelman aide- al.com

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No surprise, Mitt didn’t make himself available to the press, given the questions that would arise about Larry Craig, but there you go. He got his cash and moved on.

Romney’s quick trip rounds up about $90,000- al.com

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Well Ken Guin is staying in the Alabama House and leaving the two-year college system and Neal Morrison is doing the opposite. There will be more fall-out from the two-year college scandal, but it’s nice to see some things happening.

Guin quits college job- al.com

UPDATE: Doc has a first look at the race to fill Morrison’s Seat.

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Go vote in the Left in Alabama Presidential Tracking Poll and support your favorite candidate.

Left In Alabama:: LIA Democratic Presidential Tracking Poll (August Edition)

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Thanks to Dan for tagging me with the quote of the day yesterday…

Daily Dixie: Quote of the day

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State Senator Harri Anne Smith (R - Slocumb) is planning a run for governor in 2010…interesting. The field keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Harri Anne Smith to Run for Governor - Doc’s Political Parlor

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We still have a large number of Alabama citizens in poverty, and very little being done to change it. It’s sad that our politicians don’t seem to want to pay attention to this issue. I applaud people like Kimble Forrister and Alabama Arise for their efforts in attempting to bring attention to the issue, but it’s one that we should pay attention to anyway.

State’s poverty dips; still near worst - al.com

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Congratulations to Bobby Bright, who did manage to capture more than 50% of the vote yesterday and retain his position as mayor of the city of Montgomery. Scott Simmons put up a stronger fight than the last go round, but still managed only about a third of the vote.

Despite the homicide rate, Montgomerians seemed to want to stick with the horses we have. Janet May faces a run-off with former Councilman Tracy Larkin, but two incumbents were returned to office, along with the four who were unopposed.

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Bright vows to unify city
34 percent of registered voters go to polls

UPDATE: Trent Thompson has the returns at Left in Alabama

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Sessions wants a competent Attorney General? I want a competent US Senator…we don’t all get what we want Jeff.

NPR : Competence Should Define New AG, Sessions Says

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I’m in full agreement with Mac…if the death penalty was an option, Troy would be all over these ethics cases.

There is a simple solution to this - Thomason Tracts

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Mary Orndorff has a good piece in the Birmingham News this morning following up on the Siegelman probe in light of the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The probe will continue, with Alabama Rep. Artur Davis and others on the Judiciary Committee pushing the case.

AG resignation won’t halt Siegelman probe- al.com

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Get out and vote today, no matter who your candidate is. The mayor and four city council positions are up for grabs. The date of the election has had some controversy around it, but the vote will be held today. Make your voice heard!

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Montgomerians vote today
Candidates making last-minute appeals

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…the day before an election. We had three homicides in three days, which took Montgomery to 32 murders for the year. I still don’t think he is in much danger. He still received the endorsement of the Advertiser editorial board, which I’m sure was a relief. I believe Scott Simmons will get more votes than last time around, but tomorrow we’ll find out.

montgomeryadvertiser.com ::  Three slain in three days

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State Senator Vivian Davis Figures officially announced her run for the US Senate seat occupied by Jeff Sessions yesterday. Her biggest challenges are that she is not a known quantity statewide and that her base of operations is the same as Sessions, the Mobile area. She is going to have to broaden her breadth and depth of support among the donor base quickly in order to stand any chance of making this race, but it is a very, very steep hill to climb.
Figures says she will run against Sessions | TuscaloosaNews.com

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This was a smart move on Mayor Bobby Bright’s part, to generate some positive progressive news prior to the mayoral elections next Tuesday. He is a progressive mayor, though he hasn’t shown those colors in awhile.

montgomeryadvertiser.com ::  City eyes biodiesel for fleet

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I know I’m surprised that the attempt to shut legislators out of employment with the two year college system is going to be challenged by the legislature. If anyone is surprised…we need to be deeply concerned for your mental health.

Guin says lawmakers may try to reverse ban | TuscaloosaNews.com

UPDATE: There’s also a lawsuit to prevent the school board from enacting their policy, funded by the AEA, with several legislators and constituents as plaintiffs. The lesson in the past has been, don’t oppose the AEA, we’ll see if it holds true here.

Birmingham News: Legislators Sue to Keep System Jobs

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I like the rhetoric we’re hearing out of the new head of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, I just don’t know if he can deliver on the promise. Finding the middle ground has not been the history of his group, but it can be the future.

New Christian Coalition of Alabama expands issues | TuscaloosaNews.com

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A poll doesn’t mean much at this point, but these results are surprising

h/t Left In Alabama, through Daily Kos

SurveyUSA. 8/13. Registered voters. MoE 4.3%.

Alabama. 9 Electoral Votes. Bush won 2004 by 26%. (7/16 results)

Clinton 44 (39)
Giuliani 50 (54)

Clinton 47 (41)
Thompson 49 (55)

Clinton 48 (44)
Romney 46 (49)

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This does smell awfully fishy…

The contract also requires ACS to create a system for state health and human service agencies to share information on common clients.

“What we are doing is to be solely focused on what a Medicaid patient needs to live at the highest level of health at the lowest cost,” Steckel said.

But questions for Steckel at a Statehouse news conference Tuesday centered on problems ACS has had in other states and the resignation of former CEO Mark King. ACS senior Vice President Will Saunders also was asked if the company had a conflict because of Roth’s work for ACS as a consultant. Roth served as Riley’s chief of staff for four years before resigning in September.

Saunders said Roth was hired after the contract had mostly been negotiated to help the company understand Alabama.

“He will be a big help in educating us about the Alabama landscape,” Saunders said.

And how much is he being paid to give them this “education”?

AP: Questions raised over Medicaid contract to computerize data

Mobile Press-Register: Medicaid Vendor Has History of Controversy

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I think everyone expects that the proposal by two-year Chancellor Bradley Byrne will pass the state school board. The question is what happens next. The policy of the school board is one thing, state law is another, and when you are trying to put restrictions on legislators through policy when they have the power to write laws tells me we are in for some serious legislative maneuvering to block this action during the next session.

Birmingham News: Riley expects Byrne’s proposal to pass board

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Home Depot is now in the town of Pike Road, and the assistant to the Mayor of Montgomery can’t figure out how it happened. How strange…

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Home Depot switches towns

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I understand how these kind of funding issues can occur, but it is deeply disappointing to me that at a time when the Governor is pushing expansion of these centers, that this kind of dramatic budget cut was dropped on these centers at such a late date. Who is going to want to start this kind of facility in their communities, when this is how they are treated?

Alfred Saliba Family Service Center facing a $100,000 cut - local_news | The Dothan Eagle

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As my fellow Bama bloggers have been buzzing about for weeks, the Governor is seriously considering calling a special session this fall. He discussed it with reporters yesterday. The session could be a big one, considering insurance relief for Katrina victims, the undoing of annual property reappraisals and a package of ethics bills. There’s no doubt that given the tension of the regular session in the Senate, that is where the action will be, but these are serious proposals that deserve consideration sooner rather than later.

Riley says he’s considering calling special session - NewsFlash - al.com

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The twists and turns of the study group formed after the deadly bus accident in Huntsville last year continue to baffle me. They’re now very excited about a study that will determine what people’s “attitudes” are toward seat belts in school buses. And how much should that really weigh in the decision of whether or not they should be used? It’s just confusing to me.

Huntsville Times: Task force will focus on students’ attitudes

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Alright, who is Artur Davis trying to kid. I love the man and will support his run for governor wholeheartedly, but he IS running, despite what the MSM says.

Davis’ haul - one year before the primary - could be used to fend off a challenger in 2008, support other Democratic candidates or even finance his own run for governor or senator in 2010.

All three scenarios are possible, he said.

A. Who in their right mind is going to challenge him in ‘08?

B. He has already stated in interviews that he will not run for the Senate if Shelby runs for re-election, and all indications are Shelby will go for one more term.

C. He has been out in front as a spokesman for Sen. Obama, with every indication that it is not only to support a friend, but to raise his profile in the party.

There will be a Davis run for governor in ‘08 and having the dollars is a good first step.

Davis ignites fundraising machine- al.com

UPDATE: This one even made the Political Wire this morning.

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Troy “the boy” King and his staff are stonewalling the Ethics Commission and have yet to prosecute a single corruption case since he took office. This is how bad it’s gotten.

Other cases have languished so long at the attorney general’s office, both before and since King arrived, that the statute of limitations has expired, according to Sumner. The Ethics Commission since has received fresh complaints about a few of those officials, whom Sumner said he believes should have been prosecuted years ago.

Bence acknowledged bad blood between the commission’s staff and the attorney general’s office, dating back more than a decade.

In 1996, the commission cleared then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions of mishandling evidence in a state investigation. Sessions said he believed the ethics inquiry should have been dropped long before reaching the stage of a formal commission hearing.

Some career staffers in the attorney general’s office never forgave their Ethics Commission counterparts, even after Sessions moved on to the U.S. Senate.

“Anybody who doesn’t think that caused dissension, I have some oceanfront property in Autauga County I’d like to sell them,” Bence said.

But no one in the AG’s office is petty or refuses to let anything go…not at all. It’s only been eleven years!

montgomeryadvertiser.com�::� Attorney general still at odds with Ethics Commission

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