I will definately be watching Representative Terri Sewell~edited

Ardent supporter mooncat brags CD7 representative elect Terri Sewell is the only democrat to make the list of The St. Petersburg Times top 10 freshmen to watch. According to The St. Petersburg Times Sewell is on the list because;

A rare Democratic freshman in a Congress dominated by Republican newcomers, Sewell will become the first African-American woman to serve Alabama in Congress. Sewell, 45, comes from a family of barrier breakers. She's the first black valedictorian of Selma High School. Her mother was the first African-American woman elected to the Selma City Council. She graduated from Princeton University, Oxford University in England and Harvard Law School.

Hmm, a rare Democratic freshman in a Congress dominated by Republicans. Wonder what that means? Note the emphasis on her personal accomplishments but not her agenda? Which leads me to believe the only reason she's on the list is because of her race, and because she's the first black everything.

Yes, Sewell will be become the first African-American woman to serve Alabama in Congress, and yes, it's another in a long line of first for Sewell, but what does it mean for Alabama, specifically the voters in the 7th district? Sewell and her family's first have helped her/them personally, but I will be watching to see how that translates into help for her constituents. You know, the people who actually voted for her.

The current shape of the district was largely formed in 1992. It includes part of the Black Belt counties, as well as portions of Tuscaloosa, Alabama and Birmingham. The highly irregular shape is because this is a majority-minority district, formed under provisions of the Voting Rights Act as amended in 1982 to include greater representation for minorities in Congress.[1]

This district contains heavily urban areas in both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, including two of the state's largest colleges, the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Nine of the 12 counties in the 7th District are in Alabama's Black Belt, a rural expanse in Alabama and former home to the state's once-flourishing cotton plantations. Due to the minority representation in this district, a majority of the voters identify with the Democratic Party. John Kerry won 65% of the vote in this district in 2004 and Barack Obama won 72.36% of the vote in 2008.

Due to the fact the Alabama State government is now controlled by the gop it will be extremely important for the residents of the 7th district to have competent, effective, representation on the national level to compensate for the lack of representation on the state level.

So I will be watching to see if Terri Sewell is Artur Davis in designer pumps, adding another first black something to her resume, or, if she is going to remember it's not about her, it's about the people she was elected to represent.

"I just want to say I know who I am and whose I am. And if you send me to Congress, I will take those same values of faith, personal responsibility, hard work to Washington and roll up my sleeves and work on behalf of you each and every day. It's about remembering who elected you. It's about remembering why you're there: to represent the people....

If you honor me with your vote, I will serve you with honor. ... You won't be embarrassed by anything I say or do."

I will be watching to see if she lives up to the legacy of another first African American female Representative.

In 1964, Chisholm ran for and was elected to the New York State Legislature. In 1968, she ran as the Democratic candidate for New York's 12th District congressional seat and was elected to the House of Representatives. Defeating Republican candidate James Farmer, Chisholm became the first black woman elected to Congress. Chisholm joined the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 as one of its founding members.

As a freshman, Chisholm was assigned to the House Agricultural Committee. Given her urban district, she felt the placement was irrelevant to her constituents and shocked many by asking for reassignment. She was then placed on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. Soon after, she voted for Hale Boggs as House Majority Leader over John Conyers. As a reward for her support, Boggs assigned her to the much-prized Education and Labor Committee, which was her preferred committee. She was the third highest-ranking member of this committee when she retired from Congress.

All those Chisholm hired for her office were women, half of them black. Chisholm said that during her New York legislative career, she had faced much more discrimination because she was a woman than because she was black.

Looks like Sewell dodged the bullet regarding the House Minority Whip battle between Steney Hoyer and James Clyburn with the compromise crafted by Nancy Pelosi.

Representative elect Sewell, I know you promised not be a rubber stamp for President Obama but what about what the voters in the heavily Democratic 7th district want? Who will you represent in Congress? Remember the reason you are the first African American female representative from Alabama is because of them there gerrymandered districts. Please don't lose site of this fact like your predecessor and vote against the interest of the people for your personal, political gain.

Representative elect Sewell, my big REDEYE will be trained on you like a laser beam. Remember it's not about YOU, it's about the voters of the 7th district. I HOPE and PRAY you prove me wrong, not for MY sake, but for the sake of the the 7th district.

The voters in the heavily democratic 7th district want you to have President Obama's back, not stab him in the back. Been there. Done that.

Redeye over and out....for now