The following is a guest column submitted by Agriculture and Industries Commissioner -- and Democratic gubernatorial candidate -- Ron Sparks. We invite all Democratic officials and candidates to create an account here and share their thoughts with this progressive community.
Tough Times Demand Real Leadership
By: Ron Sparks
Alabama is [...]
Mobile Mayor Sam Jones endorsed Congressman Artur Davis for Governor of Alabama today at a noon press conference in Mobile. Mayor Jones praised Davis’ leadership ability, experience, and positive vision for Alabama’s future as he issued his first ever endorsement in a statewide campaign.
“Artur [...]
Mitt Romney just endorsed Kay Ivey.
"Having been a governor myself, I know she's got the experience and vision to do a good job," Romney said in a statement released by the Ivey campaign.
"Some candidates may talk about being a conservative, but Kay Ivey is the real thing. I've seen" [...]
Seriously? Roll Call has used information from 2009 financial disclosure forms to assemble this nifty table of the minimum value of assets and liabilities for all 435 Members of Congress.
Assets include stocks, bank accounts, rental properties and other income-producing holdings; liabilities are most frequently mortgages and other bank loans. [...]
or can you say Willie Horton!!
Here is a picture of Maurice Clemmons, that upstanding individual in Washington state being sought for questioning in the massacre of those 4 police officers. I am certain that somewhere his mother is saying that "He was always such a nice boy!"
BTW, [...]
Very disturbing survey result:
But a bigger indicator of peril comes from a new survey question added the DK tracking poll for the first time this week. The poll now includes a rather simple indicator of baseline voter enthusiasm for the year 2010. The question offered to respondents is a [...]
When we interviewed gubernatorial candidate Ron Sparks a couple of weeks ago, he had this to say about the 2010 election:
But you know, we've got to be careful in this race. And I've had a number of radio stations, they try to get me on the race issue, they [...]
Martha Bozeman is running in the Democratic primary for the AL-07 seat being vacated by Congressman Artur Davis.
She briefly addressed the Over The Mountain Democrats at their candidate forum held last August.
Left in Alabama will be covering this race more closely [...]
Programming note: The Kudzu Vine covers Georgia and Southern politics like kudzu and they'll be covering some Alabama politics this evening. I'll be on the show starting around 6:15.
Reform isn't needed just for the poor, or blacks, or women, or any other group of Americans. We all need it.
I was a little surprised at the reaction to Rev. Jesse Jackson's recent comment that “You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man.” There were plenty [...]
The folks running Alabama government have their heads firmly stuck in the sandy beach when it comes to rising sea levels.
Whatever is behind rising sea levels, "we've seen the data and we know it's real," said Landon Smith, flood plain administrator for Orange Beach, which dramatically tightened its building [...]
BECK: First of all let me rule that out. Uh, Palin/Beck? Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.
CO-HOST: She's far too smart for that.
BECK: No, I was just thinking, what, I'm gonna take back seat to' [...]
We all got 'em! Here are some news items that slipped through the cracks this week:
Free tickets to the Iron Bowl! No, not for you and me ... for the people who decide how much state money Auburn and U of A will get.
Anniston Star on charter schools: [...]
The Birmingham News has finally noticed what the Birmingham Weekly figured out on Tuesday -- Steven Hoyt's election as City Council President Pro Tem may not be valid. When Councilor Roderick Royal was elected the new City Council President, he immediately became acting Mayor, displacing Carole Smitherman. The [...]
It's Thanksgiving evening and many of us have staggered, bloated to either the computer, the TV, or pulled out the newspaper to survey the surfeit of advertisements for "Black Friday."
Now personally, I encourage everyone to limit their spending this and every year. Spend [...]
... some pictures I found laying around on my desktop!!
and the Worst of ALL!!
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Haaaa!
[...]
No, it isn't the black guy -- so you "Alabama isn't ready for a black governor" folks just stay calm. This is old fashioned politics as usual in the Heart of Dixie -- on the right side of the political spectrum. The threats have been sent to former ADECA [...]
Personally, I'm thankful every day for all the people who are willing to run for public office -- both the great ones who make us proud and the doofuses who are so much fun to write about. But several candidates and elected officials have remarked on Thanksgiving on the eve [...]
As I posted yesterday, I see a close kinship between Pailn, Dobbs and Beck with Larry, Moe and Curly.
If history teaches us anything about republicans it is 1). sooner or later they will shoot themselves in the foot - or someone else in the face and 2). [...]
Bob Riley, champion of ethical government.
Well, maybe not. It's beginning to look like he's just a champion of hiding the business as usual. First there was the $13 million no bid computer services contract to Paragon Source, a company with no phone [...]
A friend shared with me, and I loved it so much I had to drag it over here to LiA. Not much to do with politics, but then again...
Back in September the nude body of a part time census worker was found hanged, in a cemetery in Kentucky. Written on the body was the word "Fed".
At the time, some speculated this was a antigovernment murder, sparked in part by the anti government rhetoric of some commentators.
The police investigation [...]
First it was Larry Palin on her non-political self promotional book tour, then it was Moe Beck and his adolescent obsession with prostitutes and tears, and finally Curly Dobbs who swears that he can save America from itself and the alien Obamas.
... but the more I think about the idea [...]
The video below the fold is kind of a bonus from our recent interview with Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks. Many of us followed his actions closely back in 2007, hoping he would get into the 2008 U.S. Senate race -- and were disappointed when he [...]
No transcript available, but it's basically 8+ minutes of people saying they love Sarah Palin and want her [...]
This is the second post arising from an interview we conducted with Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks on Nov. 12 -- the first installment was Ron Sparks - Important to be Proactive and Protect the Citizens of Alabama. Video and transcript excerpts are [...]
...not the same as the old boss. @BhamWeekly tweets:
Roderick Royal is now mayor of Birmingham.
[Steven] Hoyt will serve as council president.
Now I really, really want to know what Kyle Whitmire meant by his Facebook status yesterday:
If what I'm hearing about our next council president is correct, [...]
Alabama is a "Red State" filled with people who supposedly don't want government all up in our personal business. But, as we've seen time and time again, the state government doesn't mind interfering with womens' lives and personal business. In fact, when you're talking about reproductive choices, interference is generally [...]
The Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee (CBC PAC) has endorsed State Rep. Earl Hilliard, Jr. in his campaign to fill the open seat in Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. This is one of those endorsements that is more than lip service - it will bring [...]
... seen over the weekend in an article about Afghanistan.
One imagines that rule applies in other parts of the world, too, like ALABAMA. One more reason to wholeheartedly support efforts to increase literacy, in case you needed another one.
Jennifer Foster cuts to the heart of the race thing in the Alabama governor's race in, of all papers, the Opelika-Auburn News:
It’s tough being Artur Davis. In the span of just over a week, Davis has taken hits for being black – and then, not black enough.
Here's the timeline [...]
The Going Rogue Express hits Homewood today and the faithful have already lined up to pay thirty bucks or so for a book available for $14.50 at Amazon as little as $4.97 elsewhere. There's a story behind the $4.97 price -- this is how releases from the right [...]
No, it's not the good behavior that's spreading, but you probably guessed that.
Challen Stephens wrote a very informative and well researched piece for the Huntsville Times yesterday about money handed out by Madison County Commissioners in the form of "discretionary funds." He's not talking peanuts here either, it [...]
This in via email:
My state representative Marc Keahey will be holding a town hall meeting Wednesday at 3:30 in Atmore. I plan to attend and was hoping that you guys might have some questions or comments that might be pertinent to the conversation. Thanks for your time and keep up [...]
Some people will never set foot in a Walmart or Sam's Club again. Ever.
Jdimytai Damour, 34, died Nov. 28 after a mindless herd pressed heavily on the glass door of the Valley Stream, N.Y., store, breaking it off its hinges moments before the 5 a.m. opening, with the crush of [...]
The Senate voted 60 to 39 (party line, with Voinovich(R, OH) absent) to begin debate on a health care reform bill.
"Ted would be happy," [Majority Leader Harry] Reid said at the press conference afterward, in reference to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-Mass.) efforts to push health reform.
"We have" [...]
Kennett, Missouri (CNN) -- A woman accused of cutting in line at a Wal-Mart, shoving merchandise and assaulting police officers will plead guilty to disturbing the peace and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors. Under the agreement -- reached after the jury received the case for deliberations -- Heather Ellis will plead [...]
On November 12, Mooncat and I were pleased to sit down with Agriculture Commissioner, Ron Sparks, and discuss his campaign for governor, the Department of Agriculture, and other state issues like education, gambling, health care and more.
Commissioner Sparks spent more than an [...]
The Quitta' from Wassila, Part 2:
Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin was in Indiana yesterday for a book-signing at a Borders store. One thousand lucky fans with wristbands to meet Palin stood in the rain all day waiting for her to arrive. However, Palin quit the event before she [...]
Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Friday, November 20.
1. Jon Walker asks, "Is Harry Reid Laying The Ground Work To Betray Progressives For Snowe's Vote?" In the end, Walker concludes, "Reid does have the power to get a public option passed, there is" [...]
Last night was the opening night for the play advertised on the right side of this column. (and a big "THANK YOU to mooncat for the plug). It was a wonderful experience, as most, but certainly not all, opening nights are. We had a respectable size audience and they were" [...]
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