"We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm."

---George Orwell

Remember their sacrifice.

Islamists kill tennis players in Baghdad for wearing shorts. (Hat tip: LGF readers.)
BAGHDAD — An Iraqi tennis coach and two of his players were fatally shot last week in Baghdad because they were wearing shorts, authorities said yesterday, reporting the latest in a series of recent attacks attributed to Islamic extremists. ...
In the Baghdad incident, gunmen stopped a car carrying the Sunni Arab coach and two Shi’ite players, asked them to step out and then shot them, said Manham Kubba, secretary-general of the Iraqi Tennis Union.
Extremists had distributed leaflets warning people in the mostly Sunni neighborhoods of Saidiyah and Ghazaliyah not to wear shorts, police said.
“Wearing shorts by youth are prohibited because it violates the principles of Islamic religion when showing forbidden parts of the body. Also women should wear the veil,” the leaflets said.

Wearing shorts “violates the principles of Islamic religion” — but murdering athletes apparently doesn’t.

WSJ Weekend Interview with Roy Moore.

"Most politicians would kill for--or spend millions of dollars to acquire--the name recognition Roy Moore has in Alabama. Not necessarily the kind of name recognition, mind you. Just the level."

Republican Candidate for Senate Welcomes Support from AEA.

And by support, he means money.
Senate District 25 Republican candidate Will Barfoot is ruffling GOP feathers by unapologetically looking for support among prominent Democrats such as the AEA.
AEA union boss Paul Hubbert has tried basically to buy the State House and run the Democratic agenda," said Alabama Republican Party Chair Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh. "We frown upon anybody taking that money." The AL GOP has a resolution banning candidates from accepting money from the AEA.
Barfoot's opponents in the primary, Suzelle Josey and incumbent Larry Dixon, bashed the Montgomery attorney for not being Republican enough. There comes a point when partisan politics gets in the way of being effective," Barfoot said. "What I want to try to do is work with whoever's in there."
Barfoot, a Montgomery attorney and first-time political candidate, has never voted in a Democratic primary and resents his opponent's "backhanded" comments about his party loyalty.

Latest Primary Poll Results
-thanks to Election Projection

Alabama Governor (primaries):
DEM: Siegelman(D) 43%, Baxley(D) 43%
Siegelman had let by 8, is now tied. Siegelman had led by 9 among Moderates, now trails by 5, a 14-point swing. Siegelman had led by 7 in Northern AL, now trails by 5, a 12-point swing. Siegelman leads among younger voters and African-Americans. Baxley leads among older voters and Whites. Baxley's lead among White voters has risen from 9 points to 25 points since 5/2/06.


GOP: Riley(R) 64%, Moore(R) 33%
Riley beats Moore 3:1 among voters over age 65, but leads by only 7 points among voters under age 35. Riley wins by 47 points in Southern Alabama and by 20 points in Northern Alabama.

But I wasn't lying, I was over-representing the truth.

From an interview with Gore about his new movie: (thanks to SayAnything)
Q: There's a lot of debate right now over the best way to communicate about global warming and get people motivated. Do you scare people or give them hope? What's the right mix?

A: I think the answer to that depends on where your audience's head is. In the United States of America, unfortunately we still live in a bubble of unreality. And the Category 5 denial is an enormous obstacle to any discussion of solutions. Nobody is interested in solutions if they don't think there's a problem. Given that starting point, I believe it is appropriate to have an over-representation of factual presentations on how dangerous it is, as a predicate for opening up the audience to listen to what the solutions are, and how hopeful it is that we are going to solve this crisis.

Charles Krauthammer on immigration:

We essentially have an NFL draft in which the United States has the first,
oh, million or so draft picks. Rather than exercising those picks, i.e.,
choosing by whatever criteria we want — such as education, enterprise,
technical skills and creativity — we admit the tiniest fraction of the best
and brightest and permit millions of the unskilled to pour in instead

.

Tips for Staying Cool Amid Currents of Hot Air.

1. Point out holes in summer movies. "An Inconvenient Truth" or "The Da Vinci Code"
2. Read up on UAH's own rockin' research scientist Dr. Roy Spencer.(and here)
3. Wonder why Bill said, "our economic plan in this press release.
4. Watch these ads from the The Competitive Enterprise Institute.
5. Take a weary bloggers place during his summer vacation. (Email me)

John Derbyshire on Alabama via A Bama Blog.

"Alabama ROCKS! Jeff Sessions for President! Bill Pryor for A/G! If we start work now, we can get Alabamians into all the main positions of federal power in '08.
THEN, at last, we'll have a national Hank Williams Day public holiday. And a Bear Bryant monument on the Mall."

Governor Riley's approval ratings:

Do you approve or disapprove of the job Bob Riley is doing as Governor?
All Adults- 59%
Republicans-69%
Attend Church Regularly- 62%
Women- 57%
Men- 60%
Democrats - 46%
Liberals- 44%
Conservatives- 71%
55+ - 70%%
35-54- 54%
18-34- 53%
*Note the increase in approval over time in most categries. The polling can be broken down into various demographics by pulling down the window below where the words, "TRACK POINTS" are.

Gap widens between Riley and Moore.

The Press-Register/University of South Alabama poll showed Riley as the choice of 69 percent of the likely GOP primary voters surveyed. Moore drew 20 percent support.
The results, gathered last Saturday through Thursday, continue a trend from recent polls that have shown Riley widening his base of support heading into the June 6 primary.
"The main thing is that the electorate already knows Moore," USA political scientist Keith Nicholls said. "If he were an unknown candidate trying to get the word out, it might be different. But voters know who Moore is and what he stands for, and the overwhelming majority rejects his candidacy.

Dr. William Stewart, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama, said none of Riley's current and prospective opponents - former state Chief Justice Roy Moore in the Republican primary June 6, and either Democrat Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley or former Gov. Don Siegelman on Nov. 7 - will beat him.
"At this point, I don't think so," Stewart said. "Right now he's enjoying the power of incumbency."
In polling by the Press-Register in Mobile, Riley leads Moore, Baxley and Siegelman by 44, 16 and 33 points, respectively.

Dems Refuse to Kick Racist, Holocaust Denying AG Candidate off the Ballot.

Larry Darby, whose past exploits can be read here, here, and here, will be on the June 6 Democratic primary ballot. Darby is the founder of the Athiest Law Center whom believes blacks and whites should attend separate schools. Darby recently gave a speech to "pro-white" group in New Jersy. Here is what New Jersey's Democratic committee said about Darby; denying the Holocaust was "historical blasphemy."
"Hate and prejudice are destructive qualities that are not welcome in New Jersey and should be condemned wherever they occur," said party Chairman Joe Cryan. "Mr. Darby should turn around before crossing the Jersey stateline and then give thought to turning his abhorrent attitudes around as well."
In contrast, Alabama's Democratic Party Chair Joe Turnham says he was made aware of Darby's extreme views two weeks ago. I believe this statement to be flat-out untrue. I can myself find several instances (March 30 , Dec. 12, Fall 2005 Southern Poverty Law Center Report) before the 1st of May where Darby's extremist views were made known.
Exactly what are the requirements to run for office on the Democratic ticket? A pulse. Why does the Democratic Party allow this man to run. The New Jersey Democrats can't be too happy about a racist Alabama Democratic candidate attracting bad PR in their state. In fact, his candidacy embarrasses all citizens of Alabama. Darby is only bringing in around 12% of the primary vote so he is going to lose. What exactly is the upside of having him on the ticket?
So is Mr.Turnham telling the truth about when he first learned of Darby's views or is he just trying to save face?

Immigration Data for Alabama.

--Support for an enforcement first policy on immigration tops the 60% mark in all but one of 33 states polled (Massachusetts, figures).

1 .How closely have you followed news stories about the Congressional debate on immigration legislation...very closely, somewhat closely, not very closely or not at all? 54% very closely
2. Some people believe that the goal of immigration policy should be to keep out national security threats, criminals, and those who would come here to live off our welfare system. Beyond that, all immigrants would be welcome. Do you agree or disagree with that goal for immigration policy? 55% agree ; 28% disagree
3. Some people say it makes no sense to debate new rules for immigration until we can control our borders and enforce the existing laws. Do you agree or disagree? 73% agree; 19% disagree
4.There are currently 11 million illegal aliens living in the United States. Most have lived here for more than five years. Should the United States forcibly require all 11 million illegal aliens to leave this country? 50% say Yes; 29% say No
5. Suppose a woman enters the United States as an illegal alien and gives birth to a child in the United States. Should that child automatically become a citizen of the United States? 28% say Yes; 62% say No.

Senate Overwhelmingly Backs Amendment For a Fence.

"Good fences make good neighbors," Sessions said. "Fences don't make bad neighbors."
83 to 16, the Senate backed an amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to fortify 70 miles of existing fences near San Diego and parts of Arizona and to build 300 miles of additional fencing through the Arizona desert. The amendment would also order the immediate construction of 500 miles of vehicle barriers along frontier lands identified as prime entry points for smugglers and illegal immigrants.

Moore to Begin Running TV Ads. (finally)

Roy Moore waited until the final three weeks before the primary to air his first TV commercial, which gives many voters their first glimpse of the trial that cost him his judgeship.
The ad, which began airing statewide Wednesday, shows him being questioned by Bill Pryor during Moore's trial before the state Court of the Judiciary in 2003. The court threw him out of the chief justice's job after he refused to abide by a federal court order to remove his Ten Commandments monument from display in the state judicial building.
Moore will add issue ads next week along with billboards picturing Moore and his family.

Democratic House candidate fired for showing profane video to students. (nod to Michelle Malkin)

Steve White, a political candidate(House 4) was dismissed from his position late Tuesday night after an investigation found he showed videos with sex acts, nudity and other obscene images to students.
After 4 1/2 hours behind closed doors Tuesday night, the Limestone County Board of Education voted to fire Steve White, accused of showing students a video referring to President Bush in profane terms.
In the closed hearing requested by White, the board voted 6 to 1 to cancel his contract as a West Limestone High School eighth-grade science teacher. Outside the hearing, parents listed several other inappropriate videos.
There were the images of beer guzzling; a video of a toothless, bikini-clad Alabama fan, complete with beer and cigarettes; a lewd animated clip of former President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky; fat men in thongs; an old lady with dirty advice.
White has been on paid administrative leave since April, when parents and students said he showed his students an animated Internet video about former President Bill Clinton, which included sexual content, and made students say "John Kerry rocks" before they could leave his classroom. For a complete list of the superintendent's reasons for terminating his employment look here.

Zac McCrary, the party's communications director, said a subcommittee of the state party's Executive Committee will look into the situation and explore options including forcing White off the ballot.

Larry Darby and the slandering of Alabama's good name.
For posts on the aspiring Democrat AGs' trip to New Jersey to speak at a white nationalist organization.
For comprehensive national blog coverage see A Bama Blog.

Just when we as a state are cleaning house of the likes of Roy Moore and Tom Parker we have to put up with national attention to Darby McCrazy. Can't the political parties in this state find a happy middle ground?

Tom Wolfe delivers the 2006 Jefferson Lecture for the National Edowment for the Humanities.

It is long but I believe it is proof that Wolfe has not lost his touch yet. Enjoy. (hat tip to Southern Appeal).

Justice Parker omitted $100,000 in donations from Trial Lawyers.
-hat tip to AlabamaPolitics and Al.com.

Chief justice candidate Tom Parker failed to report $100,000 in contributions that came from trial lawyer-funded groups during his 2004 election to the Alabama Supreme Court.
Parker's campaign manager describes it as an innocent clerical error, but Skip Tucker, executive director of Alabama Voters Against Lawsuit Abuse, said, "It appears he's trying to hide money."

Republicans, Democrats Trade Places.

Portions of a rant from James Lileks:
"Nothing better exemplifies the world-turned-upside-down madness than the response to the gas "crisis." If the GOP was intent on educating the public, it would explain obscure concepts like "supply" and "demand" and how this big country called "Chi-na" has been sopping up more liquefied dinosaurs than usual."
"The actual GOP response? Hundred-dollar rebates. Cash money, friend, just for drivin'. We feel your pain: Here, have some money we borrowed from someone else. How's your Starbucks bill looking this week? Caramel mocha lattes add up, we know, and perhaps we can spot you a twenty (as long as you'll agree you're addicted to caffeine).

Terrorist "subject" questioned in Alabama.

Mohammed Haif was spotted in Jackson purchasing all the disposable cell phones from the Dollar General there. The cell phones can be used to pull signals off satellites and have been used to detonate IEDs.
Deputy Steve Carlisle: "This guy drove from Houston to here, which meant he paid rent on the car, bought the gas, has at least a $900 navigational system in the car and had bought all those (400) phones. I knew something was wrong so I contacted the FBI."
Haif told the FBI that he sold the phones to a man in California for $3 over cost. Because he did nothing wrong they let him go.

Assuming everything he said is true, "Who do you think the guy
in California sells them to?"

Young Republican National Federation Releases Results of 2008 Straw Poll.

YRNF Straw Poll Results
George Allen 18%
John McCain 16%
Condoleezza Rice 13%
Mike Huckabee 9%
Rudy Giuliani 8%
Mitt Romney 7%
Bill Frist 7%
Newt Gingrich 4%
Sam Brownback 4%
George Pataki 4%
Tom Tancredo 3%
Haley Barbour 1%
Rick Santorum 1%
Undecided 4%

Riley enjoys 12 pt. lead over Baxley.

In the latest Rasmussen Reports poll of Alabama's gubernatorial race, Governor Bob Riley (R) now enjoys a twelve-point lead over Democratic Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley, 49% to 37%. In early April, Riley led 47% to 40%.
Riley leads Don Siegelman, 59% to 32%.
Baxley leads Moore, 47%-40%.
Moore defeats Siegelman 44%-43%

Governor Riley is viewed favorably by 69%. Baxley is viewed favorably by 58%, Moore by 52%.
Siegelman is viewed favorably by 41%, unfavorably by 55%; 31% have a Very Unfavorable view of him.

73% think that before policymakers tackle further immigration reform, the country should first secure her borders and enforce existing law.
62% don't think children of illegal aliens should receive citizenship automatically.
57% of Alabama voters say tax increases hurt the economy, 56% say tax cuts help the economy.

Another Primary Poll in the Governor Race.

If the Dem. primary were today, who would you vote for?
39%-Baxley
47%-Siegelman
9%-Other
5%-Undecided
Siegelman leads among younger voters and African-Americans. Baxley leads among older voters and Whites.

If the Rep primary were hold today....
30%-Moore
66%-Riley
5%-Undecided
Riley beats Moore 4:1 among voters over age 65, but only wins by 3:2 among voters under 35. Riley wins by 55 points in Southern Alabama and by 24 points in Northern Alabama.

No big suprises except that Riley outpolls Moore with the senior citizens. I thought the elderly would be Moore's bread and butter. On the Democrat side, I think it is more likely that Siegelman will win the Democratic ticket, espicially the way his trial has been going.

Poll Results for Governors' Race.
Bob Riley (R) 49%-Lucy Baxley (D) 33%
Bob Riley (R) 56%-Don Siegelman (D) 23%
Lucy Baxley (D) 50%-Roy Moore (R) 32%
Roy Moore (R) 39%-Don Siegelman (D) 35%

USA pollster Keith Nicholls said the new survey favors Riley, but the incumbent didn't garner majority support when pitted against Baxley.
Nicholls said Siegelman's potential is hard to measure because of his legal troubles. "If he can get an acquittal before the primary, he might still be strong," Nicholls said.

Baxley said the poll results show she is the only Democrat who can win the general election Nov. 7. "There is nothing in this poll that would make anybody believe that former Gov. Siegelman could win the governor's office in November," she said.
Baxley's first position: Not As Bad As the Other Guy. (said while smiling).