Alabama Getaway

Forty-nine sister states all had
Alabama in their eyes

Today I wishes to spotlight some goings on in my home state of Alabamay.

First, though, I present two excellent articles on the current states of affairs by two, old fuckers who get it. Lee Iacocca and Gore Vidal:

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?:

"Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'"

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged.

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Hail and Farewell: the End of the American Empire:

"Whenever The New York Times finally gets the point to what is going on in our native land a celestial choir can be heard in Times Square, shouting hosannas. This happened recently, on April 14th, when they realized that there could be a dark explanation for what W. is doing when he sends a Mr. Bolton, a U.N. hater, to be ambassador to that body or a Mr. Wolfowitz to the World Bank, a man as ignorant of history and finance as the president himself. Maureen Dowd in the Times was allowed to set the pitch for the latest revelations with her “More Con Than Neo” headline. Meanwhile, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of incompetents are now cluttering the Justice Department while known incompetents are in place to wreck from within regulatory systems and even mighty Walter Reed Hospital itself."

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Now, on to our Alabama Getaway:

Another homeboy who didn't plan on the bombs in the sand.....

Florence native dies in Iraq:

"FLORENCE -- Mike Nelson said no one had to tell his wife, Genice, and him why the unexpected guests were at their door late Thursday evening.

'They didn't have to say anything. When we saw the two soldiers standing there, we just knew,'' Nelson said.

The U.S. Army messengers, who simultaneously visited the Nelsons in Florence and Tony Lindsey in Russellville, were delivering a message that no parent wants to hear.

Their son, Army Spc. James 'Jamie'' Tyler Lindsey, was killed in combat while serving in Iraq."

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The man who may take on Jeff Sessions. His name is Ron Sparks (badass name... kinda like Max Power). Kos on DailyKos had talked him up recently. Then Ron surprises everyone and posts a diary on DK AND (and this is a big AND because other politicians practice something called drive-by blogging where they post a blog then don't come back to respond to the comments) Sparks stuck around for a couple of hours and answered folks questions in the comment thread.

He hasn't decided to run yet.... you don't have to live in Alabama to encourage, support or donate to him either.

This guy is a true southern progressive. The best kind of progressive there is. This is the kind of elected official that would benefit not just Alabama, but the entire country.

Daily Kos: What is Sparksmania?

Candidates like Jon Tester and Jim Webb didn't succeed because some shadowy billionaire or corporate CEO came down from on high and selected them to be victorious; they succeeded because people like you believed in their message and believed they could win. It's truly flattering to be compared to people like them, but it's also humbling - nobody knows better than a grassroots and netroots candidate that an elected official's first and foremost responsibility is to the people. As a lifelong progressive populist, I have to say that I'm just incredibly excited about being a part of this movement.

Should I decide to run for Senate, I assure you that it will be a battle we must fight on all fronts. I will continue to campaign on the ground as I always have – in the living rooms, and boardrooms, at the fish-fries and barbecues. The fundraising gap would be tough to overcome, but we have an advantage in the field. The people of Alabama have blessed me, and their support has allowed me to win 62 counties, we tied in two and lost only three, out of 67. The people of Alabama will be with us as long as we continue to work for them. I've always tried to keep that in mind as Alabama's Agriculture and Industries Commissioner. I've tried to stay away from petty "wedge issues" that only divide the people, instead sticking to those issues that truly affect their lives - security for our ports and food supply, the health of our children, rights for our workers, and farmers, and protecting consumers, as well as showing leadership on development of alternative fuels.

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Other folk doin' good in the state.

www.myspace.com/black_warrior_riverkeeper

Pulitzer for B'ham News Reporter - The Alablawg

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Other folk doin' bad in the state.

Carpetbagging fuckers coming to Alabama to say any-stupid-goddamn-thing they think will win them votes. Please, please, please stop falling for this shit, Alabama:

Daily Kos: Giuliani in Alabama (Update: more on the Confederate flag):

"And Rawls wastes no time conjuring up ghosts of the 1992 presidential campaign, in which President George H.W. Bush's lack of familiarity with a common supermarket scanner helped frame the contrast between himself and Bill Clinton. But the story also goes on to suggest a secondary subtext to Guiliani's campaign event in Montgomery -- racial sensitivity (or lack thereof).

Below the fold: Giuliani talks about Imus and the Confederate flag."

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This is no surprise....

Southern clout in Congress at lowest level in half century

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Drunk redneck luck is not just for Southerners:

Drunk emerges unscathed from under train :

"BERLIN (Reuters) - A drunken man who fell under a train after being jolted out of a nap at a railway station emerged unscathed from beneath the locomotive."

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