BOO!

- Elisa Ferrell took the District 3 seat on the Huntsville school board Tuesday night with 54 percent, or 2,668, of the votes, completing the changes that will usher in a 60 percent new school board next month.
The longtime PTA mom and volunteer beat out tax accountant Anson Knowles, who earned 46 percent (2,260 votes), to replace Jennie Robinson as south Huntsville's board representative. Robinson on Tuesday won the District 3 seat on the Huntsville City Council.
Ferrell will be sworn in on Nov. 3 along with Beth Wilder, who will replace David Blair in District 2, and Walker McGinnis, who will replace Topper Birney in District 4.

 

After electing Jennie Robinson to the Huntsville City school board three times, south Huntsville is now sending her to the Huntsville city council.
Robinson defeated Walt Hennessee on Tuesday night to win the runoff for the District 3 seat on the city council.
Another difference-maker in the campaign, Hennessee said, was a mailing Robinson sent out to residents in south Huntsville linking him with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Parker Griffith.
The mailing recited Hennessee's history in working on past Griffith campaigns and that Griffith made a $2,000 campaign contribution to Hennessee, according to Hennessee.
"The big thing, the 800-pound gorilla, was the two peas in a pod mailing that went out that basically said that Parker Griffith was the one who showed me how to manipulate data and deceive the public," Hennessee said. "When I saw that in the mail, that was like a kick in the stomach. I would never do anything like that. For somebody to even think that I would was just disgusting.

North Huntsville students and taxpayers may as well bend over and prepare for the high heel pumps.......

I guess it depends on what your definition of "playing the race card" IS #WarOnWhites

@xTheDevilUKnowx @MRBistruth @kharyp @BNwls @abutler04 pic.twitter.com/NTjdLAwH0y
— Bernard Cannariato (@DocTexian) August 11, 2014

Man, was Mo Brooks wrong! Democrats never play the race card, says Mo's favorite defender, Dale "Jackson",  who then asked the media to show where Mo was wrong. about his war on whites assertion.   Psst Radio Boy! Your pal Mo didn't accuse democrats of playing the race card, he accused "democrats" of waging a war on whites.  Remember?

It seems he, and other old, white racists like him, feel that Democrats are racist by having the nerve to expose the racist actions of RWNJs.

Everybody knows playing the race card is what white people say when they want to belittle, marginalize, and minimize, legitimate complaint/concerns, such as the ones outlined in an article published yesterday by the New Republic, which looks at the actions of the Legislature since the Republican takeover of 2010 and examines them in terms of race and party affiliation.

 Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature is systematically undoing the gains achieved during the civil rights movement, a new article contends, pointing to things such as voter ID laws, cutting public assistance and refusing to expand Medicaid as proof of what the writer calls "the new racism."

We tried to tell some of y'all the republicans were up to no good, but did y'all listen? Nooooo. We were just race baiting, racist, dinosaurs.

Remember when Mo looked for help from African American voters before he was against  help from African American voters?

What looks like crazy on the left and the right on an ordinary day in Alabama Politics

 

Well, well, well.  Look what I stumbled upon on my morning Blog stroll...... those crazy republicans are trying to send crazy back to the attic.  That's right (pun intended), Radio Boy,  who enabled the birthers and crazy conspiracy theorists that have taken over the local Republican Party… is now trying to help a group called Republican Refresh defeat them at the ballot box.  Snicker

"Republican Refresh is a group Madison County residents tired of the embarrassing antics of the Madison County Republican Executive Party. We have decided to unify under the idea of getting new competent Republican Leadership on the Madison County Republican Executive Committee. For too long, us everyday Republicans have been embarrassed, ashamed, and confused by some of the current members of the Madison County Republican Executive Committee. The time for a refresh is now and starts with you voting on Tuesday June 3rd in the Republican Primary for new local leadership in the Republican Party."

RedEye's Translation:  It's time to send the crazy Aunts and Uncles who say out loud what we say behind closed doors back to the attic.  Uh...good luck with that.  Have you ever heard the saying you can't un ring a bell?

Happy Birthday Left in Alabama!

Speaking of un ringing a bell, lets mosey on over to slightly Left in Alabama, the Informed. Involved. Progressive. blog of record for Alabama politics, where Blogger Smedley  asks readers:

Talk to me.  Tell me what you like, or don't like, about the two Democratic candidates for governor this year, Parker Griffith and Kevin Bass. Parker Griffith I know is a Democrat  Republican Democrat who has served in the State Senate and the US House.  He has a history of right-wing votes. Kevin Bass I know is a former minor-league baseball player with no history of elected office.

And..

 What do you know about these two?  Why should a voter choose one over the other?  Are there reasons to vote for one of them, as opposed to against the other?

I've been giving that question a lot of thought and I'm glad Smedley posed that question, since I'm banned from Left in Alabama for life, allow me respond here in my own sandbox.  I believe in second chances, therefore I'm willing to forgive Parker Griffith for walking on the wild side, but I can't forget Parker Griffith walked on the wild side.  That said, we all make mistakes, ask former Governor George C.Wallace.  Griffith is talking the talk when it comes to jobs, health care, and education, I'm willing to give him the chance to walk the walk.  As my Daddy used to say... vote for the candidate with the smallest foot so when they kick you in your Donkey it won't hurt as bad. 

RedEye tiptoeing away from the computer keeping an Eye on the Reddest of the Red States....

"Keep in mind, this little game has a victim" and it's not Dale "Jackson"

I’m the news, I should not be….

If there was ever any doubt about the power of the press, and I don't mean the printing press, I mean the people who report the news, look no further than the latest media enabled, faux, right wing outrage, starring none other than conservative talk radio host, and Rush Limbaugh wanna be, Dale Jackson.

During the public comment portion of Thursday's Huntsville City Council meeting, Jackson, host of a conservative talk show on WVNN, alleged that Calhoun wanted a powerful African-American elected official on the faculty to help push through its plans for a larger Huntsville campus. Jackson contends that Calhoun dismissed Jeff Mosely, an instructor with "excellent" personnel evaluations, to make room for Culver.

Click and read the full timeline, much of which was complied with the "help of folks who wish to remain anonymous", complete with a copy of a letter written by Jeff Mosley, "sent to many in the 2-year college chain of command, up to the Governor", without a response.

Actually there are some valid questions and concerns surrounding this issue, however, the media has made this about conservative talk show host Dale Jackson, instead of Jeff Mosley, the expansion of Calhoun Community College into Huntsville, and the  hiring of the Director of Multicultural Affairs.  Was this a quid pro quo?

We have to question the motives and the agenda of folks who wish to remain anonymous, and conservative talk radio host......who probably just added 10% to his ratings.

I don't know Jeff Mosley, but I wish he'd spoken up for himself at the City Council Meeting, or at least had someone to speak on his behalf that doesn't censor liberal comments on his blog, screen liberal callers to his radio show,  and resort to name calling, personal attacks, and insults when the substance of his arguments fail.

Keep in mind, this is not a little game, it's about real people.  The real victims are the truth and the taxpayers.

CD-5 Crossing Over Dems being Punk'd again?

U.S. Representative Mo Brooks and Madison County Commissioner Dale Strong

Let's recap.

Former Democrat, turned republican, Alabama Congress Critter Parker "Flipper" Griffin will square off against present republican Congress Critter Mo "anything short of shooting them" Brooks, in the REPUBLICAN primary on Tuesday.

Enter the democratic, circular, firing squad who helped Mo Brooks defeat Parker Griffin in the first place IMHO.

Democrats try to right a wrong (pun intended), asking why should they vote in the democratic primary, with some saying they will cross over and vote for the lessor of the two evils.  And they say black democrats engage in wholesale voter fraud?

Punk me once.........can't punk me again.

President Obama, as well as some fine democratic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, are on the democratic ballot.  Support President Obama now by casting your vote for them.  We don't have a dog in the gop dog fight.

In many respects, these GOP contests are not between light and darkness, but between darker shades of pitch. We should be as careful of rooting for a “moderate” in these races, as we would be of rooting for a “less extreme” mullah in an Iranian “election.” 

Democrats will never achieve the CHANGE we want if democrats keep doing the same thing over and over again,  HOPING for a different result.

Punk me once....Can't Punk me again

A group calling themselves Democrats for Dr.Griffith released an endorsement of republican candidates who they believe  "can least mess up our current situation".  In other words, the lessor of two evils.  I wonder what part of the lessor of two evils is still evil don't they understand?  But I digress.

To my democratic friends and family considering crossing over and voting for Parker Griffith because he's not Mo Brooks, Don't. Parker Griffin is playing to democrats, HOPING we will forget how he pimped and punk'd us.  Punk me once...Can't punk me again.

Vote in your own damn primary on March 13, 2012.  If a democrat votes in the republican primary they forfeit their right to vote in the democratic primary.  We don't have a dog in the gop dog fight.  It doesn't matter which man wins because they are both republicans.   Republicans  who are are against everything we stand for.

Democrats have a candidate for Congress, his name is C.L. Holley. He may not have a polished campaign style , but he is viable, intelligent, compassionate, willing, ready and able to represent the democratic wing of the democratic party.  Instead of criticizing and complaining about the way he is running his campaign and his slogan, HELP him.  Host a fundraiser, design his website, donate to his campaign,  create a blog.  Get off your Donkey's and do something! Help C.L. Holley help us.

A personal reminder to my fellow African American voters in CD-5 who call themselves independents (you know who you are), in the words of Fannie Lou Hammer, nobody is free until everybody' s free.

Speaking of democrats running as democrats then governing like a republican, is this the same Rep. Craig Ford who said he was a conservative democrat?  If so, again I say, if I wanted a conservative Governor, I would vote for a republican.  Everybody knows conservadem is code for I'm running on the democratic ticket to take advantage of the black, block vote.  

Punk me once....Can't punk me again.

Ru$h Roundup

The fallout behind Ru$h Limbaugh's nasty, mean spirited,  personal attack against Sandra Fluke continues, despite his half a$$, post advertiser bailout apology.

"My choice of words was not the best, and in the attempt to be humorous, I created a national stir. I sincerely apologize to Ms. Fluke for the insulting word choices."

Isn't it funny how the right wing, Lords of Loud, always resort to the I was just kidding, I am an entertainer line when they resort to personal attacks, name calling and insults to attack the messenger because they can't attack the message?  Pun intended.

Speaking of attacking the messenger, local radio boy and Ru$h Wanna Be, gets the award for the headline of the week:  Kathy Peterson tried to punish WVNN for nailing her.  Be sure and check out the sidebar for a list of WVNN's  advertisers and sponsors. Ru$h to the exits. Pun intended.

Why Ru$h thought he could get away with calling a young, white woman a slut and a prostitute is beyond me.  Now if he had called Shirley Sherrod, Sonia Sotomayor and President Obama racist, criticized Michelle Obama's weight,  or, mocked Malia Obama  that would have been all right.  Snark intended.

File this under "Let them reveal who they are"

"One of the things we can't do is, we can't let them distract from what we're all about, and what we're trying to accomplish. We're trying to keep the focus on comprehensive, universal health care reform, and they're going all over the place. They are desperate, uh, they don't have leadership, uh, they really don't know what to do, and so, I think we're going to continue to see a lot of crazy things happening, like all of the, uh, outrage that has been demonstrated at these town hall meetings, like the kind of statement that Congresswoman Jenkins made, and let them define themselves, let them reveal who they are. The American public needs to see that."~Representative Maxine Waters (D.CA)

Would some people rather have Parker Griffith represent them in Congress than a black man?

Left in Alabama promoted a diary by blogger caterwaul begging democrats to be bad for one day and vote for Parker Griffith although he is an idiot , get this, he  is a much less hideous prospect than Mo Brooks, and, because democratic candidate, C.L. Holley, doesn't stand a chance of defeating Mo Brooks because he's well...a black man (my words).

Want to get rid of Mo Brooks? You can do it in the primary: Cast your vote for Parker Griffith. This is probably the only chance to dispose of Mo, because in the general he would almost surely defeat Mr. Holley. However Mr. Holley would have a fighting chance against Griffith.
In an unprecedented shift many local candidates have switched to the Republican party. The politicians have seen the writing on the wall and they have switched parties. There are no more conservative Democrats in the South. They are all now Republicans. The only hope a citizen has of having an impact in an election is by voting in the Republican primary.

No! No! No!  The only hope a citizen has of having an impact in an election is by voting your conscience.  Stop voting for or against candidates based on the color of their skin, or the party they affiliate with. Vote for candidates based on the content of their agenda/platform.

What countrycat said! Emphasis mine

When you go to the GOP primary to vote for the least crazy candidate, what happens?  You strengthen the GOP's appeal to moderate and independent voters.  How many Democrats crossed over in the runoff to vote for Bob Riley instead of Roy Moore for governor?
I know this Parker Griffith thing is different, but it's still a bad idea and the large number of local Democrats jumping on board really annoys me.  Are you planning to ONLY vote for Griffith or will you vote in all the other contested races as well?
And if you do, will you be voting for "the crazy" or for the most moderate candidates?
If you vote for the moderates (or what passes for moderate in the Alabama GOP), you're doing your part to strengthen the ALGOP and marginalize the ADP.

Enough!  It's time for the people to stand up to the right wing crazies, not become them.  C.L. Holly can win if we vote for him.  There is no need for democrats to stain our soul by signing the gop book.  This is what emboldens and enables the Parker Griffiths and the Mo Brooks.

H/T GrannyStandingforTruth

Edit~Where in the world is Congresswoman elect Terri Sewell?

Apologies to readers for the many errors contained in this post. That's what I get for trying to write a diary, prepare Sunday dinner and watch the football game at the same time.


I'm not the only one who is wondering with the restructuring of the Alabama Democratic Party, will the "top democrat" in the state assist or influence it? Other than a blurb about her support for Nancy Pelosi and hiring an out of state Chief of staff, we've heard nary a peep out out of Little Miss Sewell.

You would think after her historic election as the the first African American women elected to Congress from Alabama and being on the list of Freshmen to Watch and the states top elected democratic official we'd be hearing something from Miss Sewell about the Obama Compromise, ethics reform, who the new head of the ADP should or should not be, education, AEA, ethics reform,something. I know there are those who are adopting the "give her a chance" and "let her cast her first vote" meme, but we've been there and done that.

Remember?

Where in the world is Terri Sewell? How are we going to "watch" her if we can't find her?

Some insight into the duties of Congressional staffers and an offer of help from one of Sewells constituents from my inbox.

Let me in this discussion, since I worked in congress for Earl Hilliard and have some experience. The Chief of Staff should always be someone who is well acquainted with Congress and networked there. S/he controls the money and all that the Congressperson deals with, and has to know what she is doing. I’ve see abject failures in that position.

It is the District Director who has to know the district people, and deals directly with them. That person should be located in the district office, not DC.

A third person, the Legislative Director, deals directly with the real work of what we laughingly call democracy.

I was going to offer to assist her in finding personnel (not including me) among those I know and getting her networked in and ready to work. I never could find her to discuss anything. All I wanted was to assist her in what she wanted to do.

What is on my mind Wednesday.

If 50 Teabaggers showed up to protest President Obama or Congressman Parker Griffith (r. traitor) I'll bet there would be wall to wall media coverage complete with live interviews, but since according to al.com, it was only 50 progressive, democratic outcast protesting Dubya's former *ahem* advisor the media we have barely yawned. Thank goodness we have a real media outlet to tell us what really happened duringKKKarl Rove's trip to Sweet Home Alabama. Compare and contrast the coverage. It's like night and day. But I'm not surprised, are you?

Speaking of Bushes Brain aka KKKarl Rove, his base is repackaging their movement in a new, multicultural wrapping. Yeah right. Same stuff, different robe.

Speaking of media coverage, or the lack thereof, check out Booman's version of What if the Tea Party were black.

What would happen if we took, say, a couple hundred nicely dressed black men, to a gun show out in rural Anywhere, U.S.A.? What if we came in a couple of busloads, legally purchased firearms and left in a quiet and orderly fashion, just as we'd come. What kind of news coverage, if any, would we get?

Uh Oh! The Mainstream Media fired a warning shot at President Obama today. This is the same media who enabled Bush and Dick to send our troops to Iraq based on DEAD WRONG Intelligence, remember? What BlatantLiberal said!

I'm outraged over this meaningless story for one reason: health care. We saw this most clearly with the death panel lie. That is not a failure of communication or messaging. That was a failure of the mainstream media to educate the people. It speaks to the systemic and endemic failure of the media to simply report. And that is not the White House's fault; it's the fault of a media that will allow lies to take hold. That is willing to report a lie and give it the same billing as the policy itself warping the public's knowledge and facts.

Lord help us, Gun Nut Political Gathering Organized in PA to Shoot Up Cars Representing "Liberal Ideas": Next It's Us

On that note, remember what happened to ultra liberal radio talk show host Rhandi Rhodes when when made a joke about guns and George W-ar Bush? Remember what happened to Air America afterwards? RedEYE reports what you decide.


Paging the Alabama ACLU!!! We've got another prom situation in Dixie. This time it's in Calhoun County Alabama.

"Oxford High School, a school in Calhoun County, Ala., prom dress codes are strictly enforced. Some say too strictly. This year, the Anniston Star reports that 25 students were disciplined for violating the prom dress code. The strangest part of the story, though, is that the students were allowed to stay at the prom, but the following week, they had to choose the option of receiving corporal punishment (by paddling) or a three-day suspension....The principal, Trey Holladay, defends the policy stating that, "We're using the same policy we've had for the last five years. Being a parent, I want to make sure girls and guys act accordingly. We're a high school, and our community has certain expectations of what is appropriate."

So much discrimination, so little time.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- A sharply divided federal appeals court on Monday exposed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to billions of dollars in legal damages when it ruled a massive class action lawsuit alleging gender discrimination over pay for female workers can go to trial.

It couldn't have happened to a more deserving company. *Snicker*

Redeye over and out for now.

Shame on the Alabama Congressional Delegation!

Was it just me, or did Ohio republican Congressman John Boehner remind you of Gomer Pyle USMC when he gave his impassioned "Shame on you tirade" after the health care reform act passed in the House of Representatives last night? Remember how he used to say, "Fer shame! fer shame! Fer shame! when Captain Carter  either did something reprehensible, or was caught doing something reprehensible?


The entire Alabama Congressional Delegation should be ashamed of themselves, especially the democratic congressional delegation. I wonder why in the world Congressman Bobby Bright, Congressman Artur Davis and Congressman Parker Griffith believe democrats elected them to go to Washington to vote NO on health care reform?

I can understand the gop wanting to appease their voters, but Bright, Davis and Griffith voted against the the very people who elected them to represent. I can understand the gop wanting President Obama to fail, but I can't understand Bright, Davis and Griffith wanting President Obama to fail. I especially can't understand Congressman Davis wanting his old Harvard Law pal and the first African American President to fail. I really can't understand why Bright and Griffith want the Obama coat tails they rode into office on to fail.

For shame on the Alabama congressional delegation for voting against the immediate benefits Alabamians will receive with the passage of the health care reform bill.

For shame on the Alabama congressional delegation for enabling, appeasing and encouraging the Tea Baggers.

For shame on the Alabama congressional delegation for being on the wrong side of history. Strike that.

For shame on the Alabama congressional delegation for once again being on the wrong side of history.

For shame on the Alabama congressional delegation for being more afraid of the right wing/media than you are the voters who elected you.

For shame on the Alabama congressional delegation for putting partisan, personal, political gain ahead of Alabama voters.

The behavior of the Alabama congressional delegation is shocking and awful.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.

A redEYE Look Around Reddest of the Red States

The Bingo War is heating up. It's the Greene County Alabama Sherriff vs. Governor Bob Riley. The Greene County Sherriff says he won't allow Gov. Riley's task force to raid Greentrack. Stay tuned.

Alabama SenatorRichard "Dick" Shelby (r.) is living up to his nick name for blocking every one of the president’s nominees over spending disputes involving his state. Shock and Shame.

Meanwhile the University of Alabama won't cover PACT's tuition gap. You know the gap caused by State Treasurer and republican gubernatorial candidate Cowgirl Kay.

Mobile, Alabama says NO to toxic waste treatment! They are going to stop accepting shipments of wastewater runoff from the Perry County landfill because it's laced with arsenic, mercury, lead, uranium and other heavy metals and toxic substances. Can't say that I blame them.

Can we please have our data back please? Pretty please with sugar on top. Yes, democrats are still begging Parker Griffith to return their date he took with him when he defected to the republican party. Good luck with getting it back.

Real progressive Mitchell Howie is considering running for Congress in the 5th district of Alabama. He's a real progressive which is why he probably doesn't stand a snowmans chance in hell of chance of winning the democratic nomination. Isn't that ironic?

Congressman Artur Davis(DINO) is a strong advocate of Charter Schools, I wonder if he is aware of the data that shows the racial divide grows with Charter Schools? What's that saying about finding out who is driving the wagon before you jump on?

That's what's happening in the reddest of the red states.

Peace Out.