The World Around You

I told you when former two-year college chancellor Roy Johnson made his deal with the feds that some legislators needed to be very nervouse. Rep. Schmitz will not be the last legislator arrested in this scandal.

Sue Schmitz, D-Toney, was released on $25,000 bond after being charged with four counts of mail fraud and four counts of fraud. The charges accuse Schmitz of setting up a bogus job with a two-year college program and receiving a salary for more than three years for work she never did with the Community Intensive Treatment for Youth Skills Training Consortium, or CITY program.

“It was further part of the scheme and artifice that despite collecting a salary and benefits from the CITY program, defendant Schmitz performed virtually no services and generated virtually no work product for the CITY program, and in fact rarely even appeared for work at CITY program office,” the indictment states.

The grand jury indicted Schmitz on Jan. 9, although the indictment was sealed until her arrest this morning.

North Alabama legislator arrested in two-year college case - Breaking News from The Birmingham News - al.com

Danny’s information is always reliable (despite what others seem to insinuate) and I’m thrilled that Mayor Bright is running as a Democrat. I haven’t always been a fan of his job as mayor, but I do believe he is honorable and I couldn’t ask for more than to have a Democrat replace Rep. Terry Everett.

He has my full confidence and support.

Bobby Bright Picks a Party » Doc’s Political Parlor

Even with the flawed polling methodology I discussed yesterday, Barack Obama is leading Hillary Clinton in the latest Capital Survey poll, 40-35 percent.

Potential black voters have surged to Obama’s side, according to a poll by Capital Survey Research Center, the polling arm of the Alabama Education Association. Their latest poll, which includes data through Tuesday night, shows Obama with 68 percent of the vote among likely black voters, up from 54 percent three weeks ago and more than double the 26 percent of likely black voters who said a year ago they would support Obama.

Black voters in Alabama drifting from Clinton’s to Obama’s camp- al.com

There’s a good piece in the Montgomery Advertiser this morning about who the Edwards supporters will gravitate to in Alabama.

But no one is sure how the Edwards’ votes will go.

Birmingham attorney Giles Perkins, a former executive director of the Alabama Democratic Party, had been spearheading Edwards’ campaign in the state. While expressing disappointment with Edwards’ decision to leave the race, Perkins said, “Barack Obama is going to be carrying a lot of Edwards’ message and will end up with a lot of Edwards’ support.”

When asked why, Perkins said, “He’s talking about a new kind of politics and change in our country. That’s the same thing John Edwards was talking about.”

Two other Edwards supporters, Alabama AFL-CIO President Stewart Burkhalter and state Rep. Randy Hinshaw, D-Meridianville, said they were undecided. “I like the Obama campaign, but there is nobody better to take on the Republicans in November than the Clintons,” Hinshaw said.

I agree that it’s hard to predict, but the rural voters in North Alabama will gravitate toward Clinton for the most part, while the highly educated folks who were supporting him largely on the change message will support Obama. I really think it will largely be a wash.

montgomeryadvertiser.com :: Democrats discuss how to capitalize on Edwards