Re-Post countdown to my being banned from the pages of Left in Alabama in honor of my 5th Blog-O-versery

 

Regular readers know Friday, November 13, 2009 was indeed unlucky for me because it was the beginning of the end of my posting privileges at the  Informed. Involved. Progressive. democratic blog of record,  Left in Alabama,  supposedly because of the content of my comments and other posts.  EYE still think it was because of my non support of a gubernatorial candidate (which EYE ended up being right about). So from now until November 13, 2014,  EYE will re post links to the posts EYE (pun intended) believe led to my being banned from Left in Alabama and let you decide.

Blast from the Past Re-Post #1:  Cynthia Tucker Looks at the Alabama Governors Race

Artur Davis has to walk the fine line in this campaign: convince the big middle of the electorate to judge him on the issues -- he's a fairly moderate reformer with broad appeal -- without turning off voters who may have followed Joe Reed's advice in the past.  He needs to convince those voters to judge him on the issues instead of listening to Reed's advice. 
There's a generational power struggle going on in Alabama that has nothing to do with race.  It's all about whether the current gatekeepers and power brokers in the Democratic party can maintain their hold on the party -- and whether they get to exercise veto power over candidates.  Davis stands largely outside the current party structure and a win for him will signal diminished influence for the folks currently running the show. 
Gatekeepers like Reed and AEA Executive Secretary Paul Hubbert (both of whom are vice-chairs of the state party) probably don't have enough power to deny Davis the nomination outright, but they might have enough power to throw the general election to a Republican.  The November election will be that close and the rift between Davis and Reed appears deep enough that such extreme action is imaginable  -- check the examples of John Tyson or Patricia Todd if you don't believe it.  While denying Davis the governorship because he didn't come, hat in hand, to ask permissions and make deals would probably feel good for a few nanoseconds, it's squarely in the category of "cutting off your nose to spite your face."  The aftermath of such a strategy would certainly bring the Old Guard down in a wave of resentment. 

Be sure and read the comments (please excuse the typos and grammatical errors).

I respect Cynthia Tucker as a a Nobel prize winning journalist and Alabama native, but she doesn't know what she's talking about.  She is playing the old tried and true race baiting card from the bottom of the race deck of cards and saying what white folks say privately but can't say out loud.

RedEye Reports what You decide.

President Obama's Inaugural Theme Announced

  

I am singing Glory, Glory, Hallelujah the leader and the Grand Old Party of Obstructionist failed in their attempt to take the country back to the good old days!   We are moving FORWARD!

The theme of President Obama's inaugural ceremonies will be "Faith in America's Future," announced Sen. Chuck Schumer, chairman of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies. Schumer said in a release Thursday:
“Our nation has faced countless challenges throughout its history, and each time we have come together as Americans and moved forward with renewed strength. During the 57th Presidential Inauguration, Americans from across the country will gather beneath the Capitol Dome to celebrate our history, take measure of how far we have come, and look towards our future with hope and determination.”

I wonder if Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions is going to send the Azalea Trail Maidens to represent Alabama the Beautiful in the Inaugural Parade again?

BTW, would someone please inform the mainstream media DEMOCRATS WON the election?  I am sick of the- MSM, Talking TeeVee Pundit Heads trying to turn the losers into the winners, and the winners into the losers.  Who really cares the losers oppose  Dr. Susan Rice but would vote to confirm Senator John Kerry?  Who cares the losers want entitlement reform (spending cuts) so the rich can keep getting richer while the rest keep getting the shaft?  I mean, really? 

What Michael Tomasky said!

With opposition to Susan Rice mounting daily, Michael Tomasky proposes six alternative nominees for the top post at Foggy Bottom. Head of the list? The winner of the 2000 election.

Debunking the lies and the lying liars who tell them

"Well, there's a certain mean spiritness that's out there, not only in Alabama but it's in America. And that makes this election extremely important." Alabama State Senator Hank Sanders (D)

I'm not going to say much about Boss Hoggs, I mean former RNC chair and Mississippi Guverner Haley Barbor's (R) latest Trent Lott moment (what's up with the Mississippi delegation?), meaning, he said publicly what they say behind closed doors, and exposed what black folks like Alabama Senator Hank Sanders(D) and others have known for years, which is how the powerful and the privileged really feel about minorities (red,black,brown). I will point out the fake, hypocritical outrage expressed by the powerful and the privileged. Thank goodness technology is making it difficult to maintain a firewall. I've said it before and I will say it again...it takes power to exercise racism...a person can have all the racist beliefs they want....but when they have the power of the government to act on those thoughts.....you know the rest.

What I want to know is what makes the right leaning Left in Alabama cats and critters the authority on black folks in the Alabama's 7th congressional district? According to one of them, (para quoting) Artur Davis's constituents are homophobic,bigots who don't believe our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters should be allowed to fight and die for their country like straight folks. And they say I posted factually incorrect information on the front page and my comments were out of line??!!!

First of all... While it may or may not be an excuse, it's very possible that Davis was representing his district in his vote-- something he's been criticised for not doing in the past. Take a good look at Birmingham as Democratic as it might be and you tell me that it's a friendly place for our gay and lesbian friends. I can think of a few good arguments that might prove otherwise. That's not just any old Alabama mayor railing against the abominations. That's not Fred Phelps. That's a black Democrat-- a man that by at least two counts should understand that whole Civil Rights thing.

The fact of the matter is that Davis is an Alabama politician, and there are very few (if any other than Patricia Todd) who would be willing to openly campaign on gay rights in this state. In fact, I'd find it amusing to see if any of those who might criticize him for his vote would be willing to do so. Conveniently enough, none of them have had to actually vote on it. I'd be more than happy to challenge them to run on a statewide amendment to legalize gay marriage in Alabama and see how far they get.

And make no mistake, had Davis voted "yes" he would have likely been criticized by these very same people for voting against his constituents. Everything can be twisted and oversimplified-- particularly when coming from those who are or who have worked for a political opponent..

One commenter goes so far as to proclaim the real problem is the district still is overtly homophobic on political terms. Note the commenter doesn't offer one shred of PROOF the district is overtly homophobic. But the real kick in the head is this comment from the resident right wing radio boy

Blacks are not nearly as pro-homosexual rights... (4.00 / 1)
... as you white liberals seem to believe. (see: Prop 8)

I would guess the 7th District supports Davis on this position by a far majority.

Uh, who made radio boy the authority on black folks and what they believe? How dare he try and blame black folks for prop 8. Facts belie the scapegoating of black folks for prop 8, read them and weep. Black folks know injustice when they see, hear or experience it.

The excuse du jour for hating Dr. Joe Reed is he is an overt, homophobic, racist because of the Patricia Todd affair. Patricia Todd is an openly gay Alabama State Legislator from Birmingham. The big lie is Joe Reed challenged her election because she was gay, but once again the facts belie this charge. According to ADP chair Joe Turnham, a challenged was filed by Gaynell Hendrix's mother in law, not by Joe Reed, because of what happened during the vote and state election law. The racist/homophobic spin started here, the mainstream media picked up the spin, and the rest is a media enabled, revisionist, weapon of mass distraction.


Read the Verified Election Contest for yourself. Jefferson County election officials are accused of preventing a fair, free and full exercise of the electon process, claiming Patrica Todd received “illegal” votes and that vote totals were changed without notification to Ms. Hendricks. No where does it say the election is being challenged on the basis of race or sexual orientation.

It's a big, brazen lie,the majority of black democratic voters are homophobic.

It's a big brazen lie, Joe Reed is a homophobic,bigot.

It's a big brazen lie white folks are softer on gay issues and appear less religious.

It's a brazen lie a nondefense of Artur Davis wasn't a defense of Artur Davis.

It's a big brazen lie Left in Alabama is a progressive blog for a new direction in Alabama politics connecting progressive voices.

In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends. Martin Luther King,Jr.