Redeye's Tuesday Must Reads

There are two sides to every story and we finally get to hear Keith Olbermans side, not from MSM but via buzzflash.com

You should also know that I did not attempt to keep any of these political contributions secret; I knew they would be known to you and the rest of the public. I did not make them through a relative, friend, corporation, PAC, or any other intermediary, and I did not blame them on some kind of convenient 'mistake' by their recipients.

The South Shall Rise Again!

As the Democrats get clobbered time and again, I note how these successes remind me of he the Southern Strategy used to gain control of the Congress before the Civil War and how again they used it to almost win the Civil War.

Yep. Alabama's' own Senator Jefferson Beauregard Sessions fired the first shot when he made sure the Azalea Trail Maids were Alabama's only representative in the inaugural parade of the first African American President of the United States of America. When Alabama State NAACP VP Edward Vaughn, myself and others tried to sound the alarm, we were called racist and accused of attacking the "girls" and told to STFD and STFU.

Get over it. This is such a non-issue. No one see these girls as a representation of racism except those who get bent out of shape over trivial little matters.
Complete nonissue. It is pretty funny to see how much time and attention you have put into this.

Note, some of these same people complain media attention given to AL State Senator Hank Sanders' mad as hell robo call to DEMOCRATIC voters cost Lt. Governor Jim Folsom the election, and portrayed Alabama in a negative light. There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy.

CNN reaches a lot of people, even in Alabama. Folsom only lost to Kay Ivey by about 45,000 votes. There's no way to know how many people came out to vote for Folsom because they got the call vs. how many were motivated to vote against him because they heard about it, but I'd love to see what kind of movement Folsom and/or Ivey's internal polls showed between October 15th, when the calls hit Alabama answering machines, and Election Day.

The fix is in.

Hmmmm, sooooooo we just experienced a wave election fueled by anger in the electorate over the lack of jobs and feelings about the economy. YET it is now reported that the economy was showing these really positive signs of improvement for the last couple months - BUT news outlets like MSNBC sat on the numbers and only released them AFTER the elections, along with a glowing commentary encouraging people to be optimistic.
Don't sleep... The Hustler's are coming home to roost.

It’s funny but having the first black President has been a dual edged sword. On the one hand we have been given the boost to our pride of finally achieving the highest office in the land and that black folks have all the skills necessary to overcome centuries of racism and on the other hand we have a President who can barely use the word black in public for fear of agitating the racist who will be agitated no matter what he says.

"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
--Thomas Jefferson

Peace be with you.

If only they would use their powers for good :)

Sorry but I can't let this lie stand.

PAC to PAC transfers. Former Alabama Congressman Glen Browder says they "encourage, facilitate, and enhance corruption" in Alabama and that a particular problem is unrestricted PAC to PAC transfers. They allow contributors/interest groups to pour huge sums of money into the political process and hide its origin.

This is said BEFORE the author successfully follows the money and describes the transfer process of how much to whom, when, and how often by taking a stroll through their FCPA (Fair Campaign Practices Act) reports show that, well, there's a whole lot of check writing going on.

It sounds good for effect but there is no such thing as "legal money laundering". Money laundering is the practice of engaging in financial transactions to conceal the identity, source, and/or destination of illegally gained money. It is common to refer to money legally obtained as "clean", and money illegally obtained as "dirty".

So unless there is evidence of illegally obtained PAC to PAC money being used in the process it's factually correct to say it's "legal money laundering",it's like saying someone is a little bit pregnant, or someone kind of robbed a bank.

PAC to PAC transfers are legal and evidently the money trail can be followed for those with the time and the inclination, so this statement is not factually correct either;

Our candidates could be getting money from North Korea and most of us would be none the wiser.

I wonder why right leaning Left in Alabama chose to follow the Alabama Education Association (AEA) money trail and not a republican PAC? I really don't understand the blatant hostility displayed by a progressive blog toward a progressive organization that represents the interest of public school teachers, administrators and support personnel. A majority of the members of Alabama Education Association are loyal democrats. They fight for the rights of the least and the left out. They fight for women to have the right to choose to obtain a safe, legal abortion. They fight for the right of all Alabamians to have access to quality affordable health care. They fight for the right of all Alabama students to have equal access to a quality public education. They fight for the rights or workers to organize. They fight for our LBGT sisters and brothers to have equal rights. They fight for civil rights. They fight for comprehensive immigration reform They aren't laundering illegally gained money, nor are they using PAC's to enrich themselves or maintain the status quo.

They use their powers for good.

Update~Redeye's DADT Blogstroll

We can all live in Alabama

The Republican Party has a proposal for you. With your hope and change frustrated by their obstruction, they would like you to blame the president, stay depressed instead of volunteering, and forget to vote on November 2nd.

In return, they'll make the entire country into Alabama. Remember the scene in Demolition Man where Sylvester Stallone finds out that in the future, all restaurants are Taco Bells? It will be just like that, and exhibit A is California. Really, I'm not kidding. If you want to see what America will look like should tea party Republicans take Congress, come pay "the Heart of Dixie" a visit.

Breaking News! Radio Boy, aka Dale Jackson "went before a jury of his peers" for his role in Voter Suppression with the State Seal of Approval. According to him the jury said it wasn't wrong to use the State Seal of the Secretary of State of Alabama if you weren't the Secretary of State of Alabama. Who knew? Funny how he was one of the main ones pushing the so called New Black Panther Voter Intimidation meme.

BUT Dale, What is voter intimidation?

Voter intimidation involves putting undue pressure on a voter or group of voters so that they will vote a particular way, or not at all. Absentee and other remote voting can be more open to some forms of intimidation as the voter does not have the protection and privacy of the polling location. Intimidation can take a range of forms.

Uh, why reinvent the democratic party and turn it into the new democratic party? What's wrong with the old democratic party? You know, the one that stands for civil rights, women's rights, labor, public education, the middle class, the disenfranchised, human rights, jobs, and protecting the environment? We don't need to reinvent the democratic party, we just need to kick the infiltrators out.

Re-inventing the Dem Party?
1. Stop singing from the Republican Party hymnal!

2. Stop taking money from corporations and fatcats and become "the party of the working man" again. As we've seen in recent years, all those small donor $10, $20, and $50 contributions can turn into hundreds of millions of dollars.

Move towards a completely grassroots party and start a concerted national movement to end corporate control of government through campaign donations. Let the American people know that your candidates are "non-Wall Street owned".

3. Do this before the American middle class is completely extinct, due to more "brilliant" conservative theories like NAFTA, CAFTA and mass de-regulation.

4. Define what you are as a party and don't ever forget it again!

Score one for the Teachers Union! Black Chicago Teachers Win Discrimination Lawsuit against Arne Duncan's Mass Firings. Could this be why the right doesn't like Teachers Unions?

Back in June of 2009, BAR told the story of activist teachers who sued the Chicago Public Schools to reverse the firings of hundreds of committed, experienced, mostly black and female teachers in dozens of schools and their replacement with less experienced, younger, whiter teachers at lower salaries. This pattern of discriminatory firings and school closings has since been replicated across the country, and is a core element the Obama administration’s education policy. Since then, some of those same teachers have won the leadership of Chicago's 30,000 strong teachers union. Earlier this week, a US District Court judge ruled in their favor.

What's that you say? Politico Uses News Stories to Push It's Deficit Agenda? I'm shocked! Shocked I tell you! Not.

Politico wrongly told readers that: "voters tells pollsters they’re worried about all the red ink in the federal budget, and Democratic centrists have grown more urgent in telling Obama it’s time to rein in federal spending." This is not true.

A recent NYT-CBS poll found that just 9 percent of respondents said that the deficit was something that they were angry about. It is also inaccurate to identify Democrats who raise concerns about the deficit as "centrist." They can more accurately be identified as Democrats with close ties to corporate interests. Their financing base is a far more obvious way to distinguish their ideological leanings

The New Black Panther Party sends Poll Monitors to largely African American Neighborhoods in Chicago. Oops! I mean Mark Kirk (r.) sends Poll Monitors in largely African American Neighborhoods in Chicago to make sure those darkies aren't up to no good.

In a private phone conversation that was secretly recorded, Mark Kirk, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in Illinois, told state Republican leaders last week about his plan to send "voter integrity" squads to four predominately African American neighborhoods of Chicago "where the other side might be tempted to jigger the numbers somewhat."

Gasp! South Carolina republican Senatorial Candidate Jim DeMint, one of the Senate's most conservative members, is using campaign finance laws to legally get around traditional limits on how much individual politicians spend supporting other candidates.

In a sharp departure from typical campaign practice, South Carolina GOP Sen. Jim DeMint has used a leadership political action committee to spend $1.5 million dollars on behalf of 15 conservative Senate candidates in this year's midterm elections.

Dress rehearsal for Halloween or how they will govern if elected?

Apparently Eric Cantor is doing his best to distance his party from Rich Iott. What an interesting and colorful character. It seems the republicans are full of interesting and colorful characters running this November. Maybe that's why they are slated to pick up so many seats. A-merry-ca loves interesting and colorful characters. Compared to the republicans democrats are so boring. I mean witches; fake hillbillies; hitmen; headless corpses in the desert; illegal housekeepers. Hollywood cant touch these folks for excitement. The poor boring dumbocrats don't stand a chance.

Now run tell THAT homeboy!

Ever since Antoine Dodson's TV news interview from Huntsville, Ala., when he sounded off about an intruder who broke into his sister's apartment and allegedly attempted to rape her, he has become a media spectacle, if not a celebrity. His televised rant has been remixed and Auto-Tuned in music videos viewed millions of times online. On Oct. 2, Dodson performed at the BET Hip Hop Awards show, which airs Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. on BET.

I hope Homeboy is being paid for THIS.

Just watch and wait for it so you too can see what they did there. Also, what the hell? How are you going to work in references to Antoine Dodson's viral video about his sister's near sexual assault in a POLITICAL ATTACK AD!?!?!?! What's next? Ads for bug spray? ("They're climbing in your windows, spreading Lyme Disease, trying to kill you so you better spray the yard! Spray the house! Spray the yard! Spray the house! And use some OFF too because they biting everybody out there!") I give up. I give up on everything.

Don't give up, get up! This is is why we must get off our Donkey's and VOTE for HOPE and CHANGE we can believe in.

PAC Hypocrisy Edition

What's that you say? Republicans are a bunch of two faced, hypocrites? I'm shocked. Shocked I tell you! Not.

Republicans use PACs. And they run them, too.
Here in Alabama, Republican officeholders even run PACs while holding very high public office:
Governor Bob Riley chairs GOV PAC
House Minority Leader Mike Hubbard is Treasurer of Network Political Action PAC, which his wife chairs
Up until 3 weeks ago Senate candidate Gerald Dial (R) chaired the TIF (Trust Integrity and Fairness) PAC
J.T. Waggoner (I believe that would be Senate Minority Leader "Jabo" Waggoner) chairs the New Alabama Leadership PAC.

Right wing republicans don't have a plan so they create Weapons of Mass Distractions like labeling PAC to PAC transfers as the root of all evil, claiming corrupt democrats are responsible and benefiting from legal bribery/money laundering. Well, real, unashamed, brave, bold, big D Democrat Representative Randy Hinshaw called their bluff and told them to PTFU or STFU. Now that's what I'm talking about!

The Governor needs to call a special session Monday to take up one bill: Jeff Mclaughlins bill to ban PAC to PAC transfers. Will he GOP?

Hell NO Governor Riley will not call a special session Monday to take up the bill to ban PAC to PAC transfers. I wonder why? *Snark*

Of course the righty's response is to attack Randy Hinshaw and demand he return all his PAC donations. Now why would he do something stupid like that? The logic, for lack of a better word, of the right wing defies me.

I've said before, and I will say it again. I don't have a problem with PACs or PAC to PAC transfers. Political Action Committees is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.[1] Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a matter of state and federal law. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, an organization becomes a "political committee" by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election.District 5 Democratic Congressional nominee Steve Raby said it best, Political Actions Committees are a reality of politics.

I'm a member of several PAC's. I am not a large corporation with millions of dollars to contribute or to hire lobbyist, being a member of a PAC which pools resources is the only way I can compete with the big guys and gals. Without Political Action Committees the little guys and gals wouldn't have a voice. For example,the Confederate Heritage PAC transfers some money to the South Huntsville Civic Association PAC to give to the Mo Brooks/Paul Sanford Campaign.

Everyone knows that PAC-to-PAC money launderers do what are are told.

According to the righty's there are good PACs (gop) and bad PACs (Democratic). fundmaker at leaning LiA compiled a list of PACs primarily servicing Democrats vs. Republicans and identified the sources who contribute to those PACs. It's very e very enlightening. And they say there is no transparency? *Snicker*

Now what everyone needs to focus on is The Chamber is spending 75 million dollars to try to help the Republicans retake Congress The Chamber of Commerce/foreign money disease in America is not limited to or enabled by any one party. They all do it. We all need it to stop.

Obama's attempt to ACORN the Chamber of Commerce is a breach of etiquette for the New Dems and Blue Dogs, some of whom have actually won the Chamber's endorsement. Most of these fools were going to lose their seats anyway, mainly because they watered down the president's agenda which made his policies less popular. And then they failed to defend the unpopular policies that they helped to make unpopular. On top of that, in an election cycle where conservatives are highly motivated, these corporate Dems eschewed the one thing that could save them: criticizing the Republicans' plutocratic agenda by taking on the Big Banks, Big Oil Spillers, Big Insurers, and the Fat Cats asking for tax relief.
They're not too different from Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) who famously told us to stop being mean to BP during the catastrophe in the Gulf.

Taking on the Chamber is a no-brainer, unless you plan on doing their bidding and winning their support.

There is more than a whiff of hypocrisy.

Political Actions Committees are not the root of all evil

With all the talk about PAC's, lobbyist, vote buying and corruption I felt the need to be more informed about this issue. What I found out is that PAC's aren't the root of all evil, as a matter of fact to paraphrase Christine O'Donnell, they are you and me.

What/Who is a PAC?

A Political Action Committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation.[1] Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a matter of state and federal law. Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, an organization becomes a "political committee" by receiving contributions or making expenditures in excess of $1,000 for the purpose of influencing a federal election

Some call it legal money laundering;

Currently, special interests that want to finance a candidate's campaign without the public knowing about it use PACs to launder the money. Instead of giving directly to the candidate, the donor -- gambling interests, for instance -- gives it to a PAC, which then commingles the donation with other funds, which then gives it to another PAC, which then gives it to the candidate.

The candidate knows to whom he or she is beholden, but the process makes it virtually impossible for the public to follow the money trail.

That's not true, there is nothing that prevents the public from following the money.

When an interest group, union, or corporation wants to contribute to federal candidates or parties, it must do so through a PAC. These PACs receive and raise money from a "restricted class," generally consisting of managers and shareholders in the case of a corporation, and members in the case of a union or other interest group. The PAC may then make donations to political campaigns. PACs and individuals are the only entities allowed to contribute funds to candidates for federal office. Contributions from corporate or labor union treasuries are illegal, though they may sponsor a PAC and provide financial support for its administration and fundraising. Overall, PACs account for less than thirty percent of total contributions in U.S. Congressional races, and considerably less in presidential races.

Are PACs the problem or are Alabama's campaign fiance laws the problem?

Alabama's campaign finance laws are set up to hide the money trail. There are few limitations on contributions and those contributions are often laundered by unlimited money transfers from one PAC to another so you can't tell who is giving what to whom. I knew all that and was properly outraged, but I didn't realize SoS Beth Chapman's office is just a glorified stenography service for campaigns and PACs with no ability or responsibility to check the accuracy of reports.

Prior to the Citizens United Ruling, this was federal law;

Contributions by individuals to federal PACs are limited to $5,000 per year. It is important to note, however, that as a result of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit decision in SpeechNow.org v. FEC, PACs which make only "independent expenditures" (that is, advertisements or other spending that calls for the election or defeat of a federal candidate but which is not coordinated with a federal candidate or political party) are not bound by this contribution limit.

Corporations and unions may not contribute directly to federal PACs, though they may pay for the administrative costs of a PAC affiliated with the specific corporation or union. Corporate-affiliated PACs may only solicit contributions from executives, shareholders, and their families, while union-affiliated PACs may only solicit contributions from members. "Independent" PACs not affiliated with a corporation, union, or trade or membership association may solicit contributions from the general public but must pay their operating costs from these regulated contributions.

Federal multi-candidate PACs are limited in the amount of money they can contribute to candidate campaigns or other organizations:

at most $5,000 per candidate per election. Elections such as primaries, general elections and special elections are counted separately.
at most $15,000 per political party per year.
at most $5,000 per PAC per year.
Under federal law, PACs are not limited in their ability to spend money independently of a candidate campaign. This may include expenditures on activities in support of (or against) a candidate, as long as they are not coordinated with the candidate.

If two or more PACs share the same sponsoring organization, they are considered to be "affiliated" and their total donations are counted under aggregate limits, i.e. the total donations from all may not exceed $5,000 for a specific candidate in a given election.

Alabama has a long list of registered Political Action Committees from the Confederate Heritage PAC to the Alabama Federation of Democratic Women to The AL Marijuana Party.

I learned our elected officials have PACs via a 2008 CREW report.

Today, CREW released the most complete list of House members’ Political Action Committees (PAC) available to date. CREW research found that out of 432 House members: 232 have PACs, 133 House members do not have PACs, 67 House members’ offices refused to disclose an affiliation with a PAC, 113 Democrats have PACs, and 119 Republicans have PACs.

Legislation passed last year requires lobbyists to disclose their contributions to any entity "established, financed, maintained or controlled" by a member of Congress, but members of Congress do not have to identify their affiliation with PACs.

Is this about banning PAC to PAC transfers or is it about putting the screws to the Teachers Union (AEA) and so called gambling interest (Milton McGregor)? Based on my research I say it's the later.

District 5 Democratic Congressional nominee Steve Raby said it best;

Political Action Committees are a reality of politics.

In relation to the ongoing, pre election, BINGO, so called, vote buying in not so Sweet Home Alabama, what Ol' Fart said all the damn way;

This is, to put it succinctly, a political hatchet job. Also, next legislative session when your taxes are increased because Alabama has no money to meet it’s obligations, don’t cry to me about the burden. I’m not saying that a lottery or gaming is the panacea to resolve everything, it’s simply another revenue stream. Plus the 6,000 or so highly paid persons are back to work paying taxes.

You claim to be republicans, but you have forgotten the golden rule. For the free enterprise system to work, money has to change hands amongst a great number of people. Not just the high and mighty few.

PAC's help the little guy's and gals compete with the high and mighty few.