The American Spectator defends George Allen.
Ryan Lizza wrote a article attacking Senator Allen for among other things:
Allen's penchant for snuff tobacco is depicted most unflatteringly, in the tone of "civilized people just don't do that." The Confederate flag is bandied about as a quick-and-easy sign of Allen's backwardness.

"Lizza's general tone indicates a prejudice toward the South, but one sentence in particular clinches that: "Whuppin' his siblings might have been a natural prelude to Confederate sympathies and noose-collecting if Allen had grown up in, say, a shack in Alabama." In other words, poor Alabamans are naturally racist.

Lizza takes an elite tone when discussing Allen's wearing of cowboy boots to a Virginia political gathering called Shad Planking. Lizza's very first sentence is "Senator George Allen is the only person in Virginia who wears cowboy boots." Is that supposed to be a bad thing? Are cowboy boots and Copenhagen a sign of white-trash,redneck,backwoods ignorance? Sometimes, but not always.
Does Lizza make this distinction? Does he give a former governor of VA and a current Senator the benefit of the doubt and point him out as the exception to the rule? No, he attempts to paint Allen with the same brush one would use for David Duke. I don't know that much about Allen but if the The New Republic is publishing a smear piece this early in the 2008 Presidential campaign, Allen must be doing something right.

UPDATE on the smear campaign against Allen here. Discussion at Southern Appeal.

Harper Lee turns 80 today.
The boys at PowerlineBlog have a nice tribute to the greatest living Southern writer here. The normally reclusive writer has made a few public appearances lately including a library dedication in LA and a luncheon at her alma mater. I read once that she and her sister never miss a televised UA football game. She even sent Phillip Seymour Hoffman a congratulatory fax after he won the Academy Award for "Capote."
God only knows why she has never published another novel. I think it would be hard to top the Pulitzer-Prize winning "To Kill A Mockingbird" and the Academy Award winning movie. I would like to think that she has been writing this whole time and is just waiting for the proper time to publish them.

Working For Uncle Sam.
The day when Americans will have earned enough income to pay their total tax bill for the year is named "Tax Freedom Day."
This years' Tax Freedom Day was April 26, 116 days into the year -- three days after it occurred in 2005.
Each state's tax burden is unique thus each state's Tax Freedom Day is different. Where does Alabama rank among the states in this survey: Numero 50. Our working for the government ends after 101 days. The fluctuations of Tax Freedom Day can be seen here.

A Billion here, a Billion there...pretty soon we are talking about real money. With all the talk about profits, deficits, budgets, earmarks, and the such, the guys at Gumps Law shed some light on how much a billion really is:
a. A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
b. A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
c. A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.
d. A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.
e. A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.
While this thought is still fresh in our brain, let's take a look at New Orleans - It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division ........Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D), is presently asking the Congress for $250 BILLION to rebuild New Orleans.

Howard Dean Still Doesn't Get It.

Dean recently sat down with reporters to discuss the Dems chance of taking over Congress come November. He was less willing to engage in discussion on the hurdles that Alabama Democrats face in overcoming their national party's liberal image. He was unaware of the peril Alabama Dems face by being associated with him and other liberal (not "progressive") members of the Democratic party. For example the success of the mailer above helping Barry Mask defeat Bobby Payne in House District 31 special election.

"I think we need to be a national party again," Dean said, "and I think we need to run on messages that appeal to people in Alabama as well as appeal to people in New York. And I think we have a list of issues and a message that will do that." Dean failed to mention exactly what those issues were.

More Statewide Polls Here.
Baxley 39
Siegelman 34
Und 27

and Here.
Luther Strange 26
George Wallace, Jr. 23
Mo Brooks 4
Hilbun Adams 2
Und 46

Parker 25
Nabers 20
Und 55

Parker only authored 1 original opinion since taking office in January 2005.

"Parker's sole written opinion on Feb. 24 was 14 pages. His other 3 rulings on original appeals did not contain written opinions. Parker has 73 original cases he hasn't ruled on. Parker's lack of productivity is so noticeable that at least two other justices said Parker may be relieved of cases because people involved in them need and deserve justice."

"Justices Bolin and Patricia Smith issued 38 opinions and 28 opinions respectively their first year. See handled 59 original cases in 2005, Justice Champ Lyons handled 47 and Justice Bernard Harwood handled 55. Lyons, who previously had not served as a judge, handled 33 his first year. Woodall handled 48 original appeals and Stuart issued 47 opinions."

Parker seems to have learned much from his mentor, Roy Moore. When Moore was a circuit court judge, he was notorious for having a heavy backlog of cases.It is ludacrious to believe that this man went from a lowly circuit court judge to being the Chief Justice! I know of one case that was rescheduled twice and on another date Moore just didn't show up. It is hard to do your job as an elected judicial officer when you are galloping across the country giving speeches and kissing babies. I assume Parker has the same problem. Either that or he is just a moron.

Siegelman, Baxley in "virtual dead heat" for Democratic nod.

-Siegelman leads with 39%, Baxley trails with 38% with 22% undecided.

Riley holds 44 pt lead over Moore in latest poll.
- Riley has 67% support, Moore with 23% and the rest of the voters undecided.

UAB com. studies professor Larry Powell, who directed both polls, said Riley received majority support from all ranges of age, income and other subgroups in the Republican sample and "seems to be coasting to victory."

Baxley Makes 1st Campaign Promise: "I Won't Make Promises I Can't Keep."It is not as catchy as her campaign slogan but then she is the one who knows state government and the political process. See AlabamaPolitics for more.

"Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley says there's a reason she hasn't given a lot of details concerning what she plans to do if she's elected governor — she doesn't want to make promises she can't keep." [bold added]

A lot of details, come on give me a break. Try any details. "I Love
Lucy' is not a campaign platform. I just don't see how Baxley or Moore can gain any traction with the voters by pointing to mistakes Riley
made four years ago. To invoke Reagan, "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?" I think most Alabamians would say that they were and that equals defeat for the challenger.

.

passes landmark immigration reform.Called toughest in nation.

The Georgia Security and Immigration Compliance Act will verify that adults seeking many state-administered benefits are in the country legally. It sanctions employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants and mandates that companies with state contracts check the immigration status of their employees.

But perhaps the greatest applause came when Catherine Davis, a black Republican running for Congress against U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, was introduced. If Davis is elected, she vowed, "I'd tell all the illegal aliens to go home."

I think Alabama should strongly consider a bill of this kind.
The Senate will probably beat them to it with a national immigration plan. We know how well massive federal programs turn out (see Education). Each state should be able to tailor an immigration bill to suit its needs instead of forcing one mammoth bill onto 50 states.

Article on immigration in National Review by Jeff Sessions. The Senator points out the flaws in the compromise that is being considered and should be out May 4th. Here's an excerpt;

"While we all agree the present system is broken, and our lack of enforcement makes a mockery of the law, we have conducted no national dialogue on what our goals for the future should be."

"If the Senate wants to be successful in passing immigration reform, its first priority should be to approve a bill to secure the borders and increase interior-enforcement infrastructure. Then we can move on to discussions about fair and humane treatment of the illegal-alien population and the future flow of immigrants across our borders."

Defense Motion for the Court to Order a Fist-fight between opposing counsel. Excerpt (bold added by me):

"For further insurances, that [the prosecutors] don’t get beat up to bad, an group of defense attorney’s drunk and stoned friends will be there to assure [the prosecutors’] safety."

Legislature approves "God Bless America" license plates.

The Alabama "God Bless America" tag would not carry an extra charge. Anyone who gets a "God Bless America" tag during their regular tag renewal month won't pay any extra. If any of the 3 million motorists with "Stars Fell on Alabama" tags want to trade them in early and get a "God Bless America" tag, they will have to pay a $1.25 issuance fee.

Riley leads Baxley 47-40 in latest Rasmussen poll. Any other scenario tightens the race (except Riley-Siegelman):
Baxley-Moore, 47-44;
Moore-Sieglman, 47-43.
Riley-Siegelman, 55-38.

If you are Siegelman (under federal indictment) and you cannot
beat Roy Moore, it might be time to hang it up. But then it raises the
question,"Who would be worse,Moore or Siegelman?"

President Bush expected to visit Tuskegee University on Wednesday to discuss innovative research.

Riley holds 44 pt lead over Moore in latest poll.
"Bottom line is that the fat lady may not have sung for Roy Moore, but she's warming up." - Keith Nicholls,USA political scientist.

Riley Approval Ratings from Survey USA. (4/12)
Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bob Riley is doing as Governor?
Approve 52%
Disapprove 43%

Think Paul Hubbert is bad? See what the teachers' union did in Baltimore.

I missed a majority of the latest South Park episode but have been following the story via Michelle Malkin and The Volokoh Conspiracy.
In the episode, Stan lectures the president of FOX about the importance of free speech:
"You can't do what he wants just because he's the one threatening you with violence. . . . Yes, people can get hurt. That's how terrorism works. But if you give in to that, Doug, you're allowing terrorism to work. . . . If you don't show Mohammed, then you've made a distinction between what is OK to make fun of and what isn't. Either it's all OK or none of it is. Do the right thing."

The supporters of the Danish cartoonists would be proud. (I count myself as one). I as much a supporter of free speech as the next blogger but apparently the execs at ComedyCentral aren't. They have decided that they cannot show a cartoon Mohammed but it is okay to show Jesus & Pres. Bush defacating on the American flag. No hiding their priorities.

Lynn Swann maintains approval in Pennsylvania.

If the election for Governor was held today, and the choice was between Ed Rendell, the Democrat and Lynn Swann, the Republican, whom would you vote for? Ed Rendell 44% Lynn Swann 42%

WSJ on the intimidation of global warming skeptics. See also John Stossel on the exaggeration of scientific warnings.

Tom Wolfe and the Duke lacrosse team + Richard Posner.
Did TW predict the Duke scandal?

Steve White, Democratic candidate for House District 4 is accused of showing obscene, Bush-bashing video to 8th grade class. Additional charges brought against White.

The clip refers to President Bush as an a--hole and includes disparaging remarks about top people in the Bush administration, as well as Fox News personalities such as Bill O’Reilly.The clip also included the s-word and showed someone “flipping a bird.”

Logan Young found dead. Police investigate death of former Alabama booster as a homicide.

From SayAnything:
George W. Bush, the mastermind behind the invasion of Iraq.
John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia and staunch supporter of the war in Iraq.
Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada and member of that country's conservative party. Not sure of his view on the war in Iraq, but his election certainly marks a shift to the right from his predecessor's (Paul Martin) uber-liberal government and he is already in the process of warming what had become cool relations with America under Martin.
Andrea Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. While she is no "right winger" she is certainly to the right of her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder, not to mention more friendly to America.
Tony Blair, Prime Minister of Great Britain. Blair is no conservative in his politics, but his administration (at least from an American perspective) is marked by its close ties to America and the Bush administration, especially over the war in Iraq.
The election of every politician mentioned above marks a notable shift to the right in the leadership of the countries they represent. Add Berlusconi to the list and you can see my point. Obviously America's left/right nomenclature doesn't directly apply to the unique political landscape of each of the above named countries, but the I do believe that this trend is noteworthy.
Liberals here in America have told us over and over again that President Bush is making America "less popular" in the world. We are told that our foreign policies are making our country a "loaner" in the international community. Yet, since President Bush was elected it would seem as though those who make up the international political community have moved markedly to the right in their politics. Rather than voting in favor of distancing themselves from America and its policies it appears as though foreign citizens are consistently electing leaders who will move their respective countries closer to America.

Santorum-Casey senate race tightens. and here.

The only Democrat I could vote for: John Lyda for Probate Judge of Jackson County.

Immigration funny courtesy of AlabamaWatch

Dear President Bush:
I’m about to plan a little trip with my family and extended family, and I would like to ask you to assist me. I’m going to walk across the border from the U.S. into Mexico, and I need to make a few arrangements.
I plan to skip all the legal stuff like visas, passports, immigration quotas and laws. I’m sure they handle those things the same way you do here. So, would you mind telling your buddy, President Vicente Fox, that I’m on my way over? Please let him know that I will be expecting the following:
1. Free medical care for my entire family.
2. English-speaking government bureaucrats for all services I might need, whether I use them or not.
3. All government forms need to be printed in English.
4. I want my kids to be taught by English-speaking teachers.
5. Schools need to include classes on American culture and history.
6. I want my kids to see the American flag flying on the top of the flag pole at their school with the Mexican flag flying lower down.
7. Please plan to feed my kids at school for both breakfast and lunch.
8. I will need a local Mexican driver’s license so I can get easy access to government services.
9. I do not plan to have any car insurance, and I won’t make any effort to learn local traffic laws.
10. In case one of the Mexican police officers does not get the memo from Pres. Fox to leave me alone, please be sure that all police officers speak English.
11. I plan to fly the U.S. flag from my house top, put flag decals on my car, and have a gigantic celebration on July 4th. I do not want any complaints or negative comments from the locals.
12. I would also like to have a nice job without paying any taxes, and don’t enforce any labor laws or tax laws.
13. Please tell all the people in the country to be extremely nice and never say a critical word about me, or about the strain I might place on the economy.

First a Wall----Then Amnesty by Charles Krauthammer

The K-hammer lays out a common sense approach for a wall:

Forget employer sanctions. Build a barrier. It is simply ridiculous to say it cannot be done. If one fence won't do it, then build a second 100 yards behind it. And then build a road for patrols in between. Put cameras. Put sensors. Put out lots of patrols.

Can't be done? Israel's border fence has been extraordinarily successful in keeping out potential infiltrators who are far more determined than mere immigrants. Nor have very many North Koreans crossed into South Korea in the last 50 years.

Of course it will be ugly. So are the concrete barriers to keep truck bombs from driving into the White House. But sometimes necessity trumps aesthetics. And don't tell me that this is our Berlin Wall. When you build a wall to keep people in, that's a prison. When you build a wall to keep people out, that's an expression of sovereignty. The fence around your house is a perfectly legitimate expression of your desire to control who comes into your house to eat, sleep and use the facilities. It imprisons no one.

Scrushy Takes Aim at Montgomery Jury Pool.
"Viewpoint," a religious themed show hosted by the disgraced Healthsouth CEO and his wife has begun airing in Montgomery. The show has been airing in Montgomery "maybe a few weeks," he said. "It's a great ministry. There's a calling, I believe, to do this," Scrushy said. Scrushy said the decision to broadcast the show in Montgomery is unrelated to the criminal case pending against him in Montgomery. It is part of a stratedgy to ultimately make "Viewpoint" a national talk show. "That has nothing to do with any trial,"Scrushy said.

Scrushy faces bribery and conspiracy charges in Montgomery. Federal prosecutors contend Scrushy arranged a $500,000 donation to former Gov. Don Siegelman's 1999 lottery campaign to secure a slot on the state health board.

If anybody believes this guy is for real I have some ocean-front property in Arizona to sell you. Let's hope the people of Montgomery aren't as gullible to the charms of this snake-oil salesman than the people in Birmingham. In accordance with his modus operandi he should be making "donations" to some of the local Montgomery churches soon.

Alabama Receives Less Pork.

The drop occurred despite a 6.2 percent increase in pork spending nationally.

After receiving $345.2 million in fiscal 2005, Alabama is now getting $203 million, according to the latest "Pig Book" tally from Citizens Against Government Waste, a Washington-based organization critical of pork expenditures.

Riley signs bill giving legal protection to those who kill intruders in self defense.

With this new law, the decision of crime victims who choose to protect themselves and their families won't be second-guessed," Riley said at a bill-signing ceremony.

Alabama's new law, which takes effect June 1, will delete language from state law that says a person should not use deadly force during a break-in if he or she can "avoid using force with complete safety."
The legislation applies to homes, businesses, occupied vehicles and nuclear power plants. It allows a person to use deadly force "to defend himself or herself or a third person from what he or she reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force by the other person."

Senator turned actor turned President? courtesy of Hotline.

On "Hannity & Colmes," ex-Sen. Fred Thompson said he'd had no discussions with anyone about going to work at the WH. Asked if he'll ever return to political life: "Three or four terms down the road, maybe I may."

How much longer can Law & Order stay on the air? Thompson for President in 2012.