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July 2, 2009
Steve Flowers: The big city dailies threatened to expose Gov. Jim Folsom Sr. for putting 37 of his buddies on the state payroll outside of merit system policy. Big Jim laughed, called 'em liars. "... I haven’t hired 37 people. I’ve hired 72 and the only merit they got is that they are Big Jim’s friends."
State Sen. Hank Sanders: 'My momma's mantra.'
The Fate of the Founding Fathers: Was it often, as 'the internets' would have it, heroic martyrdom and sacrifice that dogged and plagued them and their families for the rest of their lives or was it a more mixed bag?
July 1, 2009
David Bronner's assessment of the U.S. and world economies.
Johnson meets Riley deadline on run for governor, Caesar's wife and all.
In subtle ways, Artur Davis' election as governor of Alabama would be more historic than either Barack Obama's presidential win or Sam Jones' election as mayor of Mobile. After all, Bill Clinton has been called America's 'first black president,' just as Mike Dow was Mobile's first black mayor. But Alabama has never had a black governor, not even a white one. Except maybe for former Gov. Albert Brewer who would get an asterisk since he was never elected governor.
David Mowry joins Artur Davis campaign. David who?
Is Price right for anti-Davis Dems?
June 30, 2009
Mobile Government Plaza: How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways.
Clean and Sober: A plan to reverse America's destructive economic path and put it back on the productive straight and narrow.
Flight 1549: Anatomy of a miracle including an unsung hero - the Airbus A320 itself.
June 29, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Frontrunner emerges for U.S. Marshal here; Speak up; There goes the judge, opens door for Wise move; Mack gets knife?; When nobody wants to split pie, why not bake a bigger pie?; Honeycutt wins; Edingtons host Artur; Tempus fugit.
Pride at the White House: Obama administration honors Stonewall.
June 28, 2009
Local GOP tells Dems: 'Don't come to our party.' Message intended for specific Democratic office holder.
June 26, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Two-week window to qualify for city elections; Dems not giving up on SD 7; Edingtons host Artur; Big Luther to visit; MADA in routine meet; Facebook's the thing.
June 25, 2009
Crash of Airbus Air France Flight 447 casts pall, deepening shadow over all Airbus aircraft equipped with composite stabilizers and rudders.
Inside the Statehouse, by Steve Flowers. Alabama is a GOP red state and ultimately the Legislature will reflect that.
A message for conservatives as July 4 draws near.
June 24, 2009
Second Wind: Obama administration hints at splitting $40 billion tanker contract between Boeing and EADS-Northrop Grumman.
June 22, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Challenger gearing up to face Figures in 2010? Ivey itching to run for guv'; Beat 41 assembly; Money for GulfQuest; Sparks hopes to light fire; Coker signs defaced; GOP women gather; Williams to run; City points the way to polls.
June 20, 2009
History, food and fun meet in Mobile.
June 19, 2009
History's wrinkles: Juneteenth, thanks to the GOP.
Socialized health care will seriously limit individual choices. By Gary Palmer, Alabama Policy Institute.
June 18, 2009
Steve Flowers: Alabama political legend Fuller Kimbrell turns 100.
Birmingham's City Stages, financially offbeat, faces the music.
June 16, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Hudson kicks off; For where the Bell toils; Keep Fred, says Fred; Ison event set; Brown out of the blue; Middle Bay Light on the move?
June 15, 2009
Confiscated Cadillacs falling through the cracks at the Selma PD.
June 11, 2009
An era ending, Hammett dashes for door.
Sanford's stunning win for GOP in Democratic Huntsvillle probably less related to race than concern over fiscal direction taken by Obama/Congress.
June 10, 2009
State's black lawmakers rip Mobile, Tyson for racially-biased prosecutions.
Jefferson County looks to flush some employees to ease financial debacle.
NY Times: Death penalty case reveals blemishes in Alabama courts.
State Sen. Hank Sanders: Where the spirit leads, he follows.
June 9, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Elections not so special anymore;
The Black House? Copeland rides again; Tanner out?; Run, Ron, Run; Duck, duck, goose!; Sparks at library; McRae on mend; Erwin saddles up with James; Whetstone on the move; Untaught history's allure.
Flotte's Notes on Mobile.
June 8, 2009
Few dispute Paul Hubbert's standing as state's ranking political heavyweight for 35 years.
June 7, 2009
June 6, 2009
June 5, 2009
Emmett Burnett's So There: Pomp & Circumstance indeed.
June 4, 2009
Steve Flowers: State senate a dirty Poole and many solons have had their Phil.
June 3, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Keahey/Dems claim big win; Not all hugs & kisses in Dem camp though; Dow goes green; Lift a glass; Honeycutt/Satterwhite in nip/tuck race;
Justice to visit; USA gets hurricane money.
June 2, 2009
Juco follies like Sunday morning coming down.
May 31, 2009
Pravda notes with disdain weakness of American people in U.S. descent into Marxism.
May 30, 2009
The Political Round-Up: Keahey/Albritton showdown; Don't tread on me; James builds team in Baldwin; Old Shell's summertime blues; Full force; Sparks on the trail; Mobile mad for moonpies; Rally for change (but dollars welcome, too).
May 28, 2009
Alabama Governor's Race 2010: Bradley Byrne-ing to go.
May 27, 2009
Foreigners in the Forest: The plight of Alabama timber.
The 'Empathy' Nominee: Is Sonia Sotomayor judicially superior to 'a white male?' Questions for Sotomayor because the confirmation process shouldn't be a rubber stamp.
Steve Flowers: Graded on a curve, session a success, other than budgets, little accomplished, no noses bloodied.
May 26, 2009
May 23, 2009
The Political Round-Up: 'He-coon' to walk again?; Tyson options narrowing, but this time others to take crack at King; Intrigue afoot as state's U.S. attorney slots mulled.
May 22, 2009
Steve Flowers: Intra-party brawls can doom candidates.
May 21, 2009
Do Democrats really want ethics reform? By Cam Ward, state representative, R-Alabaster.
May 20, 2009
Pass or flunk? Legislators, politicos grade legislative session.
May 17, 2009
May 16, 2009
Ink-stained Politicians: Newspapers shouldn't get -- or want -- a government bailout.
Life After Newspapers: Learning from the 1962-63 New York newspaper strike.
May 15, 2009
May 14, 2009
Steve Flowers: Alfa carries a lot of clout.
May 13, 2009
Luther Strange to challenge GOP incumbent Attorney General Troy King. Could be a real donnybrook. Meanwhile, King has other worries.
At the Water Cooler: Along with the temperatures, political scene also heating up.
Emmett Burnett's So There: Nothing certain but death, taxes and taxes are about to kill me.
Alabama homicides drop 13 percent in 2008.
May 11, 2009
May 10, 2009
Is Atlanta entitled to Lake Lanier's water regardless of effects downstream on Alabama and Florida? Who has a stake in the conflict?
May 9, 2009
May 8, 2009
JPMorgan may face SEC charges over bond deals that helped push Alabama’s most populous county to the brink of bankruptcy.
May 7, 2009
Steve Flowers: Census too important to get lost in next year's election shuffle.
Handicapping the field in the scrum to replace Souter on U.S. Supreme Court.
May 5, 2009
Sessions tapped to lead GOP forces in likely battle over Obama nominee to U.S. Supreme Court.
May 4, 2009
Specter suggests he abandoned GOP for its role in the death of Jack Kemp. Unlike Specter, Kemp had the power of the happy man.
May 2, 2009
On PAC-to-PAC transfers, Alabama Democrats' actions mock their words.
May 1, 2009
Winnie the Pooh & Piglet: Best friends face swine flu scare.
Murtha Won't Add Tanker Provision To Supplemental
House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., is abandoning efforts to attach language to the FY09 wartime supplemental spending bill that would require the Air Force to split a hotly contested contract for aerial refueling tankers between Boeing Co. and a team led by Northrop Grumman and the European consortium EADS.
Murtha has touted the so-called split buy as the only way to get new tankers to the field quickly.
"Chairman Murtha remains committed to working out a plan that gets tankers in the air faster," his spokesman said today. "The committee will address this issue in the coming months within the FY10 [defense appropriations] bill."
Last year, the Northrop-EADS team won the contract to build a fleet of tankers, worth an estimated $35 billion. But GAO upheld Boeing's protest of the award and the Pentagon canceled the contract.
Murtha and others fear the new competition will have the same ending and cause more delays in replacing the KC-135 tankers.
Defense Secretary Gates has called the idea of splitting the contract a "very bad mistake for the U.S. taxpayer."
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