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Alabama Politics Tweets of the Week

We’re going to try out a new feature here at The World Around You (TWAY). Let’s look at the best tweets from Alabama politicians this week…

We can always count on Attorney General Troy King (@TKtheAG) to give us something memorable

Breakfast with Alabama’s Republican Women – now THAT is the breakfast of champions! I love having the Red Wave in town!

State Senator Hank Erwin (@Erwin4LtGov2010) is another constant source of entertainment

Gambling stalled in Montgomery. They can not get the votes in the Senate. Your prayers are working. Keep it up!

The fact that the Alabama Education Association (@myaea) continues to use a derogatory hashtag REALLY amuses me…I know why they’re using it (to let those who follow that hashtag see it), but it makes the tweets look self-insulting

GOP chair Rep Hubbard tries to kill AEA-endorsed PACT bill that makes AL keep promises to PACT contract holders. #aeafail #alpolitics

 This one made the “Congressional Tweets of the Week” too, but still entertaining, from gubernatorial candidate Artur Davis

Honored to receive the endorsement of the famous Gee’s Bend Quilters today. www.quiltsofgeesbend.com http://twitpic.com/14dp50

We also had an interesting new account pop up @Siegelman4Gov98 which began simply reposting messages from Ron Sparks’s account (@RonSparks2010).  Obviously playing off the accusations that Ron Sparks campaign platform is simply a retread of Don Siegelman’s in 1998.

I guess my #FF is @RonSparks2010 this guy is on to something good. #alpolitics

What did I miss?  What did you find interesting on Twitter this week?  Let us know in the comments.

If you aren’t already following TWAY, check us out on Twitter @TWAY_Kris and #alpolitics hashtag for interesting news and conversation.

Battle of the Constitutional Officers, BINGO!

George Altman of the Mobile Press-Register has a follow-up today to his report from Sunday that Alabama Attorney General Troy King may “intervene” as early as tomorrow in Governor Bob Riley’s Taskforce on Illegal Gaming.  Altman notes that it is now likely that if the attorney general acts, the issue will have to be settled in the Alabama Supreme Court.  A box in the article points to two competing sections of the law that would form the legal question in this case:

Alabama law gives both the governor and the attorney general the authority to order district attorneys, both sitting and retired, to investigate cases. The governor’s gambling task force is based on that rule. A separate law allows the attorney general to take over any criminal case.

Code of Alabama, section 12-17-184

“It is the duty of every district attorney and assistant district attorney, within the circuit, county, or other territory for which he or she is elected or appointed: … to go to any place in the state of Alabama and prosecute any case or cases, or work with any grand jury, when called upon to do so by the attorney general or the governor of the state of Alabama, and to attend sessions of courts and transact all of the duties of the district attorney in the courts whenever called upon by the attorney general or the governor to do so.”
             
Code of Alabama, section 36-15-14
             
“The attorney general, either in person or by one of his assistants, may at any time he sees proper, either before or after indictment, superintend and direct the prosecution of any criminal case in any of the courts of this state. The district attorney prosecuting in such court shall assist and act in connection with the attorney general or his assistant in such case.”

 The debate between the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office has been raging for well over a year now, hinging on the definition of bingo and what machines are allowed or not allowed to be in operation.  In the piece on Sunday,

The source in the attorney general’s office said that King’s concerns have grown in recent days, particularly over Greenetrack, a gambling hall about 30 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa that local officials have vowed to defend from any task force raid.

It seems as if Greenetrack has become the “last stand”, as Victoryland and Country Crossing have closed rather than face the prospect of an armed raid and local officials have vowed to not allow a warrantless raid on Greenetrack.  Pleadings have come from casino owners and legislators for the AG to put a stop to it.  There is no doubt there is also a strong political undercurrent to this whole debate.  The governor has a distinct advantage, in that he is not standing for re-election.  The attorney general, on the other hand, is facing a strong primary challenge from Luther Strange.  How Troy King plays his hand in the coming weeks may well determine whether he is still going to be the attorney general come the June primary, much less in November.

Meanwhile, as the governor and attorney general go round and round on this issue, the state senate will take up the debate this afternoon, with new legislation that would make electronic bingo gaming explicitly legal and tax the proceeds.  I indicated back in November this issue had the potential to suck out all the political air in this state…and it certainly has done that…and the end doesn’t look near.

Friday Recap – What You May Have Missed

My friend Danny at Political Parlor had to play some catch-up this past Tuesday, and I have been MIA for even longer.  I will be working to try to get back to some form of normalcy here, I appreciate all my readers and friends who have offered support and encouragement during a difficult time for me and my family.

So, what have you missed?

I hope to get back to a more regular pattern of reporting and commenting in the next few weeks.  Thank you for continuing to stop by and feel free to offer your comments on these events below.

Federal Grand Jury Still Investigating AG King

The Associated Press is reporting that Alabama Attorney General Troy King’s former chief of staff Chris Bence testified before a federal grand jury today in Montgomery.  This cloud has hung over him for the last year, and you would think a resolution would be coming before he goes before the voters yet again in June.  Is an indictment finally in the offing or will the grand jury neglect to pull the trigger?