Redeye's Alabama and Georgia Congress Critter Watch

The Terri Sewell fan club, aka Left in Alabama,makes much hay out press releases touting a Department of Homeland Security grant to the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Department, and an opportunity for high school students to compete in an art contest, but nary a word about Sewell being the only freshman democrat to sign a letter asking for less stringent boiler rules.

A coalition of freshmen lawmakers wrote to Administrator Lisa Jackson Wednesday calling on the agency to issue less stringent final regulations for limiting air pollution from industrial boilers.
The letter was signed by 61 members of the House. Only one Democrat, Rep. Terri Sewell (Ala.), signed on. It builds on a similar letter from 13 Senate freshmen.A coalition of lawmakers and industry groups have railed against the agency’s proposed regulations for industrial boilers, arguing they are impossible to meet. The agency has said its trying to address concerns as it crafts final rules.

Psst Terri! It's not about Y-O-U, remember Shirley Chishom?

Sewell, daughter of Selma's first African-American city councilwoman, noted that she had interviewed Shirley Chisolm for her thesis "Black Women in Politics: Our Time has Come" back in the 1980's. She quoted Chisolm on public service:

"Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth."

... and said, "I'm asking you on July 13th to let me make a small deposit toward that rent. You will not, you will not, be sorry."

Congress Critter Mo Brooks came under fire in Eye Rack, for real.

U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, was part of a congressional delegation that came under fire while visiting Iraq this week, according to the website Politico.com.

Brooks and Reps. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., Chris Gibson, R-N.Y., David Cicilline, D-R.I., and Guam Democrat Madeleine Bordallo were eating lunch with troops at a military base Wednesday when the base came under rocket attack, Politico reported Friday.

No one was injured during the attack.

About a half hour later, the base was attacked again, and the representatives were escorted to a bunker. Again, no one was injured.

“I don’t think any of the members of our delegation experienced any fear,” Brooks, a member of the Armed Services Committee, told Politico from an undisclosed location in Iraq. “We placed our trust in our armed services, and they were very professional. They did exactly what they should do.”

Yeah, and Mo and the rest of the Congressional Cowards did what they do best. They cut and ran as fast as their little privileged legs would carry them to get on a plane back to America and left our sons and daughters over there to dodge bullets and rocket attacks 24/7.

Psst Mo! Are the Eye Rack Eees free yet? I thought the Eye Rack Eees were going to dance in the streets and throw flowers and candy at our troops? I thought Eye Rack Eee oil was going to pay for the W-ar?

Bring our troops home. Now. There are no Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. Saddam didn't have anything to do with 911. We were lied to. Cut spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, not in America. The poor and the elderly have to give up heat in winter and air conditioning in summer. Cuts to medicare and social security will affect the middle class. WTF are the rich going to give up?

Let's make the midnight train across the state line to Georgia, where Rep. Paul Broun (TeaPublican, gutless coward) is asked, 'Who is going to shoot Obama?' and he didn't say a mumbling word.

Well, I would like to remind people how the media played a clip (out of context) of Reverend Jeremiah Wright saying "God Damn America" over and over again,forced President Obama to reject his church, renounce the man who performed his marriage ceremony and reject the man who baptised both his daughters.

I also want to remind people of the young man being tasered at a John Kerry event for trying to ask a question at a town hall meeting.

Anti War Activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested inside the capital for wearing a T Shirt.

Don't forget the outrage over then candidate Obama's bitter, clinging to their guns remarks (also taken out of context).

So where is the call for elected officials like Broun to reject, renounce and reputiate questions like this?

Crickets

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

Redeye's Week In Review

Artur Davis, I mean Terri Sewell is the democratic congressional nominee from the 7th district. She was quoting Shirley Chisholm on Wednesday and announcing she wasn't going to be a rubber stamp for President Obama on Thursday. Now we see why Emily's list was so *ahem* invested in 7th district congressional race. If the republicans were smart, and I'm not saying they are, they would run a social liberal, fiscal conservative candidate against Sewell in the fall and take a "safe" democratic seat. But why should they bother to run a candidate when they have Artur, I mean Sewell? I wonder if Sewell is going to vote for Nancy Pelosi for speaker of the house? Naahhh. This is messed up on too many levels to enumerate. The voters in the 7th district don't deserve this. If the Alabama democratic party were courageous, and I'm not saying they are, they would run a real democrat as an independent in the fall. With democratic nominees like Sewell who needs republicans?

Speaking of Artur Davis, he's exhibiting the learned helplessness democrats are famous for in Alabama.

U.S. Rep. Artur Davis, D-Birmingham, praised Robert Bentley for his victory in Tuesday's runoff election and predicted the Republican Party nominee will be tough to beat in the general election.

With democrats like Davis who needs republicans?

Republicans and *ahem* progressive cats won't have Dr. Paul Hubbert to kick around anymore since he is stepping down as the State Party Vice Chair. He is public enemy #1 because he is an effective advocate for public schools, public school students, teachers, administrators and support staff. Dr. Joe L. Reed is public enemy#2 because he is responsible for "gerrymandering" them there black voting districts thanks to that there Voting Rights Act.

Districts with huge majorities of minority voters? Not good. Those are intended to actually dilute the effect of minorities at the voting booth and shouldn't be tolerated by anyone on the progressive side of the map.

With progressives like these who needs democrats.

The political career of Bradley Byrnes is over, thanks in large part to democrats and the AEA. Yep, those so called anti corruption, anti gambling corporate candidates crashed and burned. Schnauzer I join you and Mrs. Schnauzer in your childish delight

So we hope you will excuse our childish delight at the thumping corporate candidates have taken at the election box recently in Alabama. The battle for honest governance is far from over--in Alabama and beyond. But we must admit to feeling a tiny bit of vindication today--and even a sense of "up yours" to those who have soiled our democracy.

The NAACP called on the Tea Party Gang to reject the racist elements and found themselves under attack from the mainstream media. That's right (no pun), the organization that fights racism is under attack for exposing the racist elements of the Tea Party gang at the same time the media is doing everything but ironing the white sheets, lighting torches and getting the rope for Mel Gipson. So, how come the media, which is predominately white, gets to defend the Tea Party Movement, attacking the NAACP and convicting Mel Gipson? Who made them the arbiters of racism? This is the same media who painted anti war protesters as anti American, anti military, namby, pamby, tree huggers and Cindy Sheehan as a traitor because she dared ask why her son died in Iraq.

President Obama is cautiously optimistic the oil well gusher is plugged in the Gulf of Mexico. Republicans voted lock step against extending unemployment benefits and financial reform. The Tea Party candidates crashed and burned. And republicans still think think they are going to regain control of the government in November.

Ain't that a dip?

Edit~I Told You Terri Sewell was Artur Davis in Designer Pumps

The winner of the democratic congressional primary from the one and ONLY Alabama district President Obama carried in 2008 has announced I'm not going to be a rubber stamp for Obama.

I tried to tell y'all

Terri didn't pledge to vote in the interest of the voters of the district. She round about said she would vote against Nancy Pelosi and President Obama. Why would Nancy Pelosi and President Obama introduce legislation that wouldn't be in the interest of the 7th district?

But I was accused of inventing a straw man, making sh*t up, and peddling hypocrisy (I'm looking at you mooncat, countrycat, Kathy, Kayman, et.al)

Inventing a straw man
So you can knock it down. In other words you're making shit up.

You weren't in the audience Thursday so I know you have no idea what Terri Sewell said, but you obviously feel free to twist my words. She unequivocally said her first priority would be the needs and wishes of the 7th congressional district. When pressed, she said even the President could not convince her to vote against the interest of her district. Nor could partisan politics. That's a very strong statement of loyalty to the voters who elect a representative. Under normal circumstances you would praise a representative who vowed to actually represent We the People, but for some reason you are now looking for reasons to criticize it.

I need hip boots for the hypocrisy you are peddling.

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday Terri Sewell was quoting Shirley Chisholm, today she's sounding like the rest of the Alabama Congressional Critters.

"I'll be a partner with Obama" to "By no means will I just rubber stamp any and all policies of the administration"

This is what happens when the republicans enabled by the media and neo liberal bloggers choose the democratic nominee from the 7th district.

If the Alabama democratic party was courageous, and I'm not saying they are, they would run an independent against Ms. Nine West Pumps in November. The residents of the 7th district deserve better. They are the most loyal voting block the state and national democratic party has, it's time to stop taking their loyalty for granted.

Enough!