Saturday, April 29, 2006

Ten Commandments judge trails in Alabama GOP race for governor

By PHILLIP RAWLS
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- Roy Moore's unsuccessful fight to display the Ten Commandments and keep his job as Alabama's chief justice made him a national hero to religious conservatives in 2003.

But Moore isn't getting treated like a hero in his return to politics in Alabama in 2006.

He trails Gov. Bob Riley by a 2-to-1 margin in the polls and an even wider margin in fundraising as they head toward the Republican primary for governor on June 6.

On the Democratic side, former Gov. Don Siegelman and Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley are running even in the polls despite the legal troubles of Siegelman, who goes on trial Monday on racketeering charges accusing him of swapping political favors for gifts and campaign donations.

"There's nothing like Alabama politics," said Ferrel Guillory, an expert in Southern politics at the University of North Carolina.

"In the Republican primary, you've got this contentious, polarizing figure, Roy Moore, who has made Riley look better in comparison. And in the Democratic primary, you've got a former governor, who on the eve of being put on trial, is in contention," Guillory said.

Moore became a national figure when, shortly after becoming Alabama's chief justice in 2001, he had a granite monument of the Ten Commandments installed in the state judicial building.

In 2003, a federal judge ordered him to remove the monument. Moore refused, and a state judicial court kicked him out of office.

Riley, who narrowly defeated Siegelman in 2002, supported Moore until he refused to obey the federal court order. Political experts and pollsters said Riley wasn't the only one who thought Moore went too far.

"He stepped on - if not over - one of those imperceptible lines in American life," Guillory said.

The Rev. Patrick Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition in Washington, D.C., and a good friend of Moore's, said he believes Moore's support is stronger than the polls indicate.

"He seems to have strong grass-roots support that doesn't poll strongly," he said.

Mahoney said Moore's character also impacts how well he campaigns. For instance, in February, Mahoney and several other religious leaders toured nine rural Alabama Baptist churches burned by arsonists, but Moore declined an invitation to join them - even though Riley and other candidates for public offices had already visited the churches.

"Chief Justice Moore said he did not want to be viewed as taking advantage of the tragedy of the church burnings and make it look like a photo opportunity," Mahoney said. "His character is sometimes at odds with what's involved in a campaign."

Moore has criticized Riley for taking campaign donations from political action committees supported by businessmen who received $50 million in state industrial incentives. Moore says it's a sign of how Riley has become part of what's wrong with Montgomery politics.

"Your government is not controlled by the people. It is controlled by special interest lobbyists," Moore said.

Despite that criticism, the primary contest between Moore and Riley has not turned into a classic battle between the GOP's religious right and business factions, as some had predicted a year ago. Riley has been able to hang on to the business support he enjoyed in 2002, and, as a governor who holds weekly Bible studies with his staff, has been able to garner support among religious conservatives.

"Roy Moore is not catching on. He's still viewed as a one-note song," said Jess Brown, a political scientist at Athens State University.

Riley also has been helped by a strong upturn in the state's economy - unemployment dropped to a record low of 3.3 percent in March.

"That's going to help the incumbent," said Charles Bullock, a political scientist at the University of Georgia who studies Southern politics.

Moore has criticized Riley's 2003 proposal for a $1.2 billion tax hike, which voters rejected 2-1. But with the economy on a roll and state revenues up significantly, Riley is now campaigning as a tax-cutter: He worked with the Legislature this spring to cut the state income tax on the working poor and end Alabama's dubious distinction of being the only state where a family of four earning less than $10,000 had to pay an income tax.

On the Democratic side, Siegelman has spent many days in court hearings and has campaigned at night. He tells audiences that an investigation begun by a Republican-appointed U.S. attorney whose husband helped in Riley's 2002 campaign is designed to ruin his comeback.

"This case is not about a conviction. This is about the 2006 governor's race," he says at each campaign stop.

Federal prosecutors say there's no politics involved, but political experts say some voters, particularly black voters who have long supported Siegelman, share his suspicions.

"They are going to come out and vote for him heavily," said Larry Powell, a longtime pollster and communication studies professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Joe Reed, chairman of the black wing of the Alabama Democratic Party, has urged black voters to be cautious about supporting Siegelman.

"I'm a political realist. If you are governor and don't have these problems and you can't keep the office, how are you going to take it back with all these problems? I hope he's found innocent, but he can't win it," Reed said.

Baxley, Alabama's first female lieutenant governor, has relied on a catchy "I Love Lucy" campaign slogan, but has not put out a full-fledged campaign platform.

"The strategy she's put forward - that the path to be governor is to have a generalized message of milk toast - is a strategy she may regret," Brown said.

Baxley complains that she's been overlooked by news media focused on Siegelman's legal problems and Riley's recent performance in the Legislature.

"Whatever time was available to cover the governor's race has been filled by the governor and former governor," she said.

Siegelman, who is standing trial with two former Cabinet members and former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, is optimistic his trial will end before the primary. The judge has told jurors to prepare for up to six weeks, which means a verdict would come after the primary.

A guilty verdict before the primary would end Siegelman's campaign. An acquittal would boost his chances in the eyes of political experts.

"Everything depends on what happens in that courtroom," Guillory said.

The winners of the primary elections will advance to the general election Nov. 7, where they will be joined by the Libertarian Party's nominee, U.S. Marijuana Party founder Loretta Nall, provided she finishes collecting enough signatures to get on the ballot.

----------------------------------

If I do get on the ballot this election will wind up being a real horse race. A bigger one than even the seasoned political junkies have imagined thus far. Here's why;

If Riley gets the Republican nomination (and it's looking that way)then that leaves me as the only fiscal conservative in this race that the supporters he angered with his "Cause Jesus told me to" tax increase proposal, could vote for.

Between Baxley and Siegelman...wow...is this really the very best that the Democratic party can do? No wonder they keep getting their asses kicked every election. They need new leadership.

Whoever told Lucy that refusing to take a stand on anything was a great way to win this race should be FIRED IMMEDIATELY. Geezus!

Don Siegelman proved today that he is still a crook and apparently has no original ideas of his own when he added my bio-diesel plank to his platform...right down to how it could help the impoverished Black Belt of Alabama. Guess he must have watched my speech to the VFW. Hope he liked what he saw.

My feeling is that Lucy will get the Democratic nomination because of Don's legal troubles. Without the legal troubles I think Don would run away with the Democratic nomination. That being her sole reason for securing the nomination leaves her weak and injured.

Ultimately, assuming I do get ballot access, this race will come down to one between Gov. Bob Riley and yours truly.

Print, fill out and mail this ballot access petition to the address listed on the petition. Help me make this an Alabama election to remember.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Suit judge slams jail crowding

By Mike Linn
Montgomery Advertiser

Alabama's corrections commissioner came to court Thursday with a laundry list of ways to reduce prison overcrowding, but was challenged by a Montgomery judge who's tired of good ideas and wants results.

Circuit Judge William Shashy told Commissioner Richard Allen that he would not dismiss a class-action lawsuit against his department until all state inmates are transferred from county jails to prison within 30 days, as required by law. All the state's 67 counties are plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

"You folks aren't doing your job," Shashy told prison officials.

Prison officials blame a lack of funds and space for their failure to move the prisoners. They contend overcrowding can best be alleviated through legislative action, not court orders and lawsuits.

Nearly 500 state inmates have been in county jails more than 30 days, down from more than 600 two months ago.

Shashy will make a decision in the case within a few days.

The class of counties and sheriffs said one option would be to allow sheriffs to simply bring state inmates to prison after 30 days. Currently, the Corrections Department must approve the delivery of a state inmate in all but two counties, Etowah and Calhoun. Judges in those counties have implemented stricter orders than Shashy.

Allen's plans included both long-term and short-term ways to ease overcrowding.

Sentencing reform legislation that will take effect in October, for example, is expected to reduce the prison population by 3,000 within five years, and a new correctional facility in Limestone should be completed in June 2007. Right now, prison officials are reviewing hundreds of nonviolent offenders to see if they would qualify for minimum-security detention or the state's work release program, where there are about 900 empty beds.

Allen said the judge should be more patient because county jails aren't nearly as crowded as the state's prison system.

Ken Webb, an attorney for the counties, disagreed with that assessment.

In Talladega County, for example, there are 100 inmates sleeping on the floor, he said.

"To say that somehow counties are in better shape is troubling," he said. "What if the sheriff in Talladega County said to the judge: 'I know you've sentenced the defendant for this crime, but I'm not going to lock him up because we don't have room?"

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Nall to be Guest on Air America Radio Friday Apr. 28



Just got a call from 1360 KLSD in San Deigo, CA asking me to be a guest on the Stasy Taylor show tomorrow morning at 10 am CST.
This is an Air America show.
Listen Live
You can listen live.

Woo Hoo!!

Pass it on

Loretta

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Birmingham Libertarians Party...Y'all Come!!

Dear Friends of Liberty:

The Birmingham Libertarians will be hosting a PartyParty on Monday, May 1, 2006!

This is the "No Fundraising - Just Fun Party!"

We will be offering complimentary fine cigars, liquors, coffee, espresso, and cappuccinos for those inclined.

Featured guests include Chairman Emeritus Mark Bodenhausen, Executive Director Mike Rster, Secretary Sarah Wires, Gubernatorial Candidate Loretta Nall, and some additional surprises!

Details:
Where: LPA Offices at 2330 Highland Ave South in Birmingham. We are located right next to Caldwell Park in the Southside Neighborhood.
When: Monday, May 1, 2006
Time: 6:30PM- ?

Please RSVP by sending an email to me.
And please forward this email to anyone that might be interested!

In liberty,
Mike Rster
Executive Director - Libertarian Party of Alabama
2330 Highland Ave South
Birmingham, AL 35205
1-205-328-8683 - voice mail
1-205-322-1848 - fax

Judge Not in Error

Judge not in error

By Mike Linn
Montgomery Advertiser
mlinn@gannett.com

A Montgomery judge wasn’t required to notify state prosecutors about a hearing to reverse the jail sentence of a Wetumpka radio show host, according to the state Attorney General’s Office.

Circuit Judge Truman Hobbs Jr. last week allowed Roberta Franklin, host of the “Morning Show with Roberta Franklin,” to serve her year sentence at home rather than behind bars, according to her attorney, Frank Riggs.

Franklin was sentenced in February to one year in jail for lying on her application for welfare benefits. Hobbs reversed the sentence last week, but he never told the Attorney General’s Office about the hearing, which is rare but permissible.

Chris Bence, a spokesman for Attorney General Troy King, said the Attorney General’s Office did its job by prosecuting Franklin.

“What the judge does after that is his prerogative,” he said.

Franklin was free on an appeal bond when Hobbs changed her sentence.

Riggs said he sent Hobbs two letters seeking lenience for Franklin because of the recent death of her 32-year-old son. One was from himself, the other was from another community member.

"I think the judge just has a good heart," Riggs said.

Riggs said it was an administrative oversight that Hobbs failed to notify the government of the hearing.

Prosecutors asked Hobbs initially to sentence Franklin to three years in prison for stealing $1,648 in food stamps between July 2003 and August 2004.

Nall to be A Guest on 96 Rock Morning Show

Got an email from 96 ROCK in Atlanta today asking me to be a guest on their morning show hosted by The Regular Guys.

They heard about Boobie & Panty Gate from FARK .

I really can't believe the mileage I have gotten out of those stories. Every week someone new picks them up and new media opportunities arise out of it.

So, Monday, May 1, 2006 at 7:30 am I will be on The Regular Guy Show. You can listen live HERE

Wetumpka Radio Host to Serve Sentence at Home Because Son Died

ABC 3340

Montgomery (AP) - A Wetumpka radio show host convicted of stealing welfare benefits won't go to jail because her son died.

Roberta Franklin, host of "The Morning Show with Roberta Franklin" on 1250 W-A-P-Z was sentenced to a year in prison in February.

Her attorney, Frank Riggs, says she will now serve her sentence in community corrections and be able to stay home.

Montgomery Circuit Judge Truman Hobbs Junior changed the sentence last week. Riggs says he sent the judge two letters asking for lenience because of the death of her 32-year-old son. One letter was from Riggs, the other from a member of the community.

The judge's actions are being reviewed by the Alabama attorney general since the judge failed to notify state prosecutors of the hearing on the matter.

Franklin was convicted of stealing $1,648 in food stamps between July 2003 and August 2004.

--------------

Go Berta!
I Love You and I am so happy to hear this news. Looks like Troy King has a real problem with it though :)

I Support Gay Rights

I am often asked the following questions with regard to gay rights, gay marriage and hate crime laws.

1. Do you support Gay Rights?

Yes, I do. Liberty is one of those things you cannot have if you are not willing to let others have it as well.

2. Do you support the rights of gay people to marry?


Yes, I do. Nothing in the Constitution gives the government the power to define marriage or to say who can marry and who cannot. Marriage license were not a requirement until after the end of slavery and were only implemented to prevent interracial marriage. I do not want the government in my bedroom and I do not want the government in your bedroom. If I let them into yours then, eventually they will come into mine. If elected Governor of Alabama I will veto any ban on gay marriage

3. Do you support hate crimes legislation?

No, I do not. It is already a crime to kill anyone for any reason. A person who would kill someone because of sexual orientation isn't worried about what kind of time they will get anyway. Hate crime laws will not change the way people think. They will not spread tolerance and acceptance and they will not stop gay people from being assaulted and killed by the violent whackos that inhabit the earth.
Buy a gun instead. As the Pink Pistols say, "Armed Gays Don't Get Bashed."

Additionally, and most importantly is that hate crimes laws are really thought crime laws. Regardless of how repugnant I might personally find the thoughts of others I do not wish to outlaw them. Our freedoms are all the same regardless of how we choose to exercise them.

However, that having been said, I feel that here in Alabama we either need to repeal all hate crimes laws on the books or add sexual orientation to the list. Fair is fair.

Alabama has too long been engaged in the politics of hate. It is time we
began to move away from that image. I embrace all of our citizens and vow
to protect their right to life, liberty and property. That is all the
government is suppossed to do.

In Liberty,
Loretta Nall
Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense
http://www.nallforgovernor.com

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Nall & Libertarian Party Launch Ballot Access Drive

Dear Alabama,

I, in conjunction with the Libertarian Party of Alabama, have launched a major ballot access drive via the internet. As your candidate for Governor of this state I am asking that each of you print out the ballot access form on this page and fax it to us at the LPHQ in Birmingham.
If you have sent me your signatures in the past please do so again via this method.

Instructions are included at the linked ballot access petition below.
If you are a supporter of my campaign and have a website or friends with websites in Alabama please ask them to post this and get their friends, co-workers and family members to sign it.
We have until June 6, 2006 to collect the 41,000 + signatures needed to get my name on the ballot for November. Time is critical.


Alabama's politicians have kept Loretta Nall off the ballot.

YOU CAN PUT HER ON THE BALLOT.


All you have to do is print out and sign this Petition


Then mail it to the Libertarian Party -- we will take it from there.

Download & Mail this Petition


Alabama's politicians think that they have crafted election laws
to keep any third parties off the ballot and to silence any competing
voices. That is one of the reasons our political process is in such bad shape. Without competition new growth and progress are stifled.

YOU CAN SAY NO TO THEM.

YOU CAN TELL THEM THEY ARE NOT SAFE.


Are you concerned about the unbridled growth and influence of
the government in Montgomery? Do you think marijuana laws are
absurd? Do you want to send a message to the politicians in
Montgomery that change is coming?

YOU DO HAVE A VOICE.


And this is it. We have until June 6 to gather the required signatures.
Time is of the essence. If you can get more signatures -- your roommate,
a co-worker, a neighbor -- you can make a difference. If you
run a web site or have a blog, link to this page. But most of all
if YOU want to strike a blow for freedom, send to us your ballot
access signature.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR FREEDOM.

Download, Sign & Mail this Petition

Libertarian Party of Alabama
2330 Highland Ave
Birmingham AL 35205
LP Website
Nall for Governor Website

Monday, April 24, 2006

For the Sake of Clarification

An Alabama Blogger over at A Bama Blog has decided to malign me without asking for clarification on my stance on race issues.

Anyone who knows me personally, knows that any charges of white supremacist, holocaust-denier, are UTTER HORSESHIT, and nothing more.
Even the most basic google search should have turned up my speech to the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors or perhaps, ONE ... OF ...... THESE results, available on any google search, would have saved us all this trouble.

I have posted the following at A Bama Blog and am reposting it here in case it disappears from there....mysteriously

None of my principals support white supremacy or denial of the holocaust.

When I posted that blog entry I did not know that Larry Darby held those views.

He and I share the same views on drug policy reform and some of the same views on religion and government....in that we do not believe any theology.

Our similarities end there.

You can see first hand my views on race issues by watching this video of my speech to the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors on the 41st Anniversary of the Edmund Pettus Bridge Crossing.

http:// nallforgovernor.blogspot....candidates.html

I am a firm believer in Liberty being one of the things you can never have if you are not willing to give it to others as well.

Please take the liberty of contacting me directly in the future if you have questions about my stance on any issue....before you report it to your readers as fact. I am happy to answer your questions.
Just ask.

In Liberty,
Loretta Nall
Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense
http://www.nallforgovernor.com
loretta nall | Homepage | 04.24.06 - 7:56 pm | #

A Run-In With the Law

I am constantly amazed at the situations I find myself in and the ways in which they often turn out. Today such a situation arose.

My laptop went berserk and being without it is kind of like having no arms and only half a brain. Impossible to get my work done and in the middle of an election campaign there are tons of work to do, as you might imagine.
So I called a friend of mine in Birmingham to see if he had time to look at it and work out the bug for me.

"Sure, bring it by and I'll see what I can do."

So I meet up with this friend and another mutual friend in Hoover, which is an upscale suburb of Birmingham. It took a while to work out the bugs in the computer and we all decided to go and get something to eat.

As we were coming back from our two block trip to Taco Bell a cop pulled up behind us. My computer friend was driving and he said, "That cop is going to pull us over because the tag on this car is expired."
During the course of the unfolding events I also learned that the tag was

1). Being held in place by "Duck Tape"
2). Was not the tag that belonged on that car....A switch tag in other words.


Oh Shit!

The whole car situation deserves an explanation in and of itself. My friend, who works on computers, also buys abandoned vehicles at auctions. This particular car that we were riding in had recently been purchased from the City of Birmingham at an auction. He had sold it to someone else. He was driving it because he was making repairs to it for the new owner.

This having been a recent transaction the new owner had not yet gone through the somewhat long and complicated process of claiming the title to the abandoned vehicle, which is what this vehicle was and how it was sold.
The new owner had also not placed a bill of sale in the glovebox or anywhere else for that matter.

"Yep...He's typing into his computer...I am going to go ahead and pull over in this parking lot."

So, my friend proceeds to pull over.
The cop follows us into the parking lot...lights a'blazin' and proceeds up to the driver side window. Cops in Hoover drive large, masculine, SUV's to intimidate citizens with. Chevy Tahoes I believe they were.

"License, insurance and registration please."

My friend begins to try and explain the complicated story of the car while handing the cop his license and insurance. The cop wants to see the registration and the bill of sale. As I stated earlier, those items were not in the car. My friend asks if he can call the new owner and have him verify this information. The new owner is a very well known businessman in that area. The cop says, "No, he isn't here so it won't matter."

"Well, what if I can get him to meet us here with the registration and bill of sale?"

"No. You don't have it in the car with you. Nothing else matters."

Boy, it makes me ill when they treat us like that.

The cop retreats to his macho-machine. A few seconds later my friend who is riding in the back with me, due to the other guys dog being along on this trip, says, "Here comes another one." And sure enough another SUV with lights'a'blazin came rolling up.

Are two sets of lights really necessary on a routine traffic stop? I mean really???? I felt like I was about to have an epileptic seizure with all of that flashing.

And there came yet another one. Three sets of lights. Three cops. Three SUV's. One expired tag.

Complete overkill.

One of the new cops walks up to my window and says, "I need to see your ID."

Now, this is not my car and, what I did next I should not have done for a large number of extremely important reasons, some of which I will not elaborate about on this blog. But, one reason is that I am still under court restrictions until my case is resolved. At any time until then the police can search me, drug test me, come into my home and so forth. That juicy little factoid was the furtherest thing from my mind though at that exact second. I had gone into full activist mode as soon as the cops had pulled us over, you see. It is second nature to me now.

"I am a passenger and I do not have to show you my ID."

"Show me your ID I need to know who I am dealing with Ms."

The driver of the car was having a difficult time trying not to throw up in his own lap due to this incident making him nervous and he said,
"God, Loretta please just give him your license!!!", in that weird, slobbery, watery..."I'm about to puke all over something" voice you get when you are about to puke all over something. He looked an incredible grayish-yellow color too and he had his head resting on the steering wheel.

So, I complied...reluctantly...but, only because my friend asked me to and because I saw that this particular type of confrontation was not his cup of tea.
The other guy in back with me dug his ID out as well and we handed them out the window.

About that time it finally dawned on me what I had just done and just exactly WHAT the situation was....if you know what I mean. I began to think about the people I might possibly be able to call and so forth. 'My lawyer, a close friend with serious connections....Oh geez let me have those numbers programmed into this new phone...I bet I don't...........Damn jail is gonna suck....Will I be able to turn the press to my advantage on this one?' ad infinitum...........You get the idea.

With me being under court sanction I figured when the cops ran my license I would next be asked to exit the vehicle and assume the search stance. No reason for them not to search me at all and plenty of reason for them to use the full force of their power. A very bad situation.

We sit and chat quietly for a few minutes, gauging the full reality of the situation, making sure we understand the totality of what is occurring and what might be about to occur.

After about 10 excruciating minutes of imagining just how bad this could be one of the cops radio's begins to crackle with an update from dispatch. The first transmission was indecipherable. The second however, came through loud and clear.

"Loretta Nall. She's the Libertarian Party Candidate for Governor."
I look up at my friends, who are looking at me, and I ask, "Did you hear that?"

They nod their heads kinda slowly and start to grin a little.

'Dare I hope?'

The cops, all three of them, each with an SUV macho-machine, are still huddled around looking sort of perplexed by this new information. They keep looking at the car and then back at each other and conversing then looking back at the car.

I imagine it was difficult to accept that the lady sitting in the back of that beater Honda with an expired/switched tag, currently being held in place by "Duck Tape", was the Libertarian Party candidate for Governor. I understand their dismay....Really, I do.

After a few minutes the cop who took our ID's comes back to my window and looks in at my friend and says, "You came back with a warrant for a DUI in Georgia."

My Friend: "No. I'm sorry that isn't possible. It happened over ten years and $2500 ago."

"Well it has not been cleared up in their computer system. But...uh...We're not gonna arrest you on it today because..uh..we don't have the manpower."

WHAT?

Hell, it looked to me like they had all the man power they needed, what with three cops in attendance and a vehicle for each of us. What they lacked in man power they could certainly have made up for in guns, billy clubs, flashlights, flash-bang grenades and all of those other uber-cool toys of oppression that cops seem to possess by the bushel these days. And I know for a fact that they did not even entertain the thought of being out-manned by the three of us.

Heheeheeheehee....Don't have the manpower....heeheeeheeheehee.

The cop hands me back my license and does not say a word to me. Not one peep.

My friend who was driving received two tickets but was told if he brought all of the necessary paperwork to court that everything would be just fine.

I never considered that the dispatcher at the Hoover Police Department, or any dispatch at any other police department, would know anything about my run for Governor. My press in that area of Alabama has been extremely limited since my original conviction and only one AP article from last October was carried in that area.
It stands to reason then that my run for Governor is somehow part of my file in the National Police Database. Is that normal? For police to keep stuff like that on file?

I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth....but man it does make me curious.

I also never thought that being a candidate for Governor would earn me any special favors from the police. Quite the opposite actually. I had thought that if such a situation ever arose that the cops would rack me hard, considering that if I am elected many of them will be looking for new jobs and soon, or at the very least made to fight serious crime.

I'll say it felt good to have them back off and let us go because of who I am. I am not saying that they fear me....Perhaps they just did not want the migraine skull-splitter that taking me in would have ultimately become.

Either way I am very happy not to be in jail today.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Video PTA Candidate Forums



The PTA Candidates Forum Video is available. (54 mins wmv)

The audio is low because the sound system in the room wasn't all that and I kept forgetting to pull the mic closer.
It is audible but you'll have to crank it up to 11 :)

The video starts after the first question had already been asked and I was in the middle of my answer. The question was about Illegal Immigration.

Online Poll

The Shelby County Reporter has an online poll asking who the next Governor will be.

Go Vote!! The poll is on the left hand side of the page near the bottom.

Candidates share ideas on schools, taxes, criminals

Forum elicits sharp differences, often provocative views

Saturday, April 22, 2006
By CHALLEN STEPHENS
Times Staff Writer, challens@htimes.com

Make every sixth-grader pass a reading test before graduating. Strap satellite locators to all sex offenders. Lock up employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Ax a well-know anti-drug program from public classrooms. Create separate stand-alone schools for gifted children.

Seated on a riser at the front of a ballroom in the Holiday Inn in Huntsville on Friday, Lt. Gov. Lucy Baxley found herself as the lone big-money candidate awash in a river of provocative ideas from four lesser-known people who also hope to become Alabama's next governor.

Several of those ideas came from Democrats running in the party's June 6 primary. For instance, when asked about their platforms:

James Potts, a financial adviser and cattle farmer from Bibb County, said he would freeze property taxes for four years, send polluters to jail for up to five years and have state prisoners handle recycling.

Joe Copeland, a retired engineer in Cullman County, said he would promote vasectomies, tubal ligation and contraception to prevent overpopulation.

Nathan Mathis, a peanut farmer from Houston County, said he would, if voters approved, open 15 casinos, each with at least 51 percent black ownership.

Loretta Nall, the lone Libertarian and a proponent of drug policy reform, would reduce sentences for nonviolent criminals and use the money saved on prisons for education.

Held as part of the Alabama PTA's annual convention, the five candidates took turns sharing their often nuanced, occasionally combative, views on how to improve the state.

Baxley reaffirmed her support for public education, calling for zero tolerance for students who bring weapons to school or assault teachers. She said that education would be her top priority and that better-educated citizens would make better future taxpayers.

Former Gov. Don Siegelman, registering in polls as her main rival, this week was attending jury selection for his trial in Montgomery on governmental corruption charges and did not attend.

As for Republicans, PTA organizers said Gov. Bob Riley and his opponent, former state Chief Justice Roy Moore, weeks ago informed the organizers of conflicting engagements.

Thanks to early morning thunderstorms, the chairs of three or four other lesser-known candidates were left empty, and the audience of about 50 was smaller than expected.

Candidates fielded scripted questions from the PTA, some of which elicited sharp differences in philosophy.

On immigration, Copeland said he would arrest employers of illegal immigrants. Baxley said: "I think we should impose penalties against those who knowingly employ illegal aliens."

Potts said the country needs a barrier at the Mexican border. Nall said the country ought to naturalize illegal immigrants who are already here so they can join the tax base. Mathis said the matter rests with Congress.

Asked about sex offenders, Potts suggested tagging each with a GPS device. "I don't believe we're leaving them incarcerated as long as they should be," he added.

Baxley said Alabama needs a law that allows state prosecutors to go after predators in other states who contact Alabama children over the Internet.

Mathis and Copeland emphasized paying for more law enforcement. Nall said nonviolent drug offenders serve more time on average than sex offenders. Instead, she would suggest life in prison for certain sex offenders when the evidence is overwhelming. "That way we always know where they are."

Mathis and Nall proposed the start of a state lottery to pay for college scholarships, a program long touted by Siegelman. Potts and Nall said they would end the state sales tax on certain foods.

(NOTE:..I do not want a state lottery. I support lottery and casino gambling but run by private enterprise)

All candidates pledged support for arts programs in the schools, although Copeland suggested a single arts school could suffice in each system. Copeland also suggested separate schools to accelerate the education of gifted children.

When it comes to funding technology in the schools, Mathis said he would consult with college presidents on how to best fund education. Potts said there is plenty of money for schools, but he would like to add a benchmark reading test that all sixth-graders would be required to pass.

Baxley said she would work to overcome the lack of computer equipment and technologically qualified teachers in schools. Copeland would seek to recruit lay teachers, possibly corporate volunteers, with computer expertise.

Nall, who alluded to privatizing education and said she would eliminate the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program called DARE, added that she would save money by having Alabama schools quit paying to follow federal mandates.

"No Child Left Behind," she said, "would be the first to go."
----------------------------------

I am ECSTATIC about how this article came out. I could not have asked for better press....aside from the confusion over private enterprise vs. state run lottery I don't think I have ever had a better piece of press.

WOW!!

I am uploading the video now and will post the link here later.

Friday, April 21, 2006

PTA Update

Dear All,

The PTA Candidates forum went extraordinarily well today. I would write up an article on it but I am too tired.

I left Huntsville around 2 pm and around 3:30 when I hit HWY 280 in Birmingham it was a PARKING LOT as HWY 280 always is at that time of day. We really need to put up a bypass or something. It is maddening to spend two hours of a day driving what amounts to no more that say 4 miles.
I decided to pull off at HQ and wait a couple hours for the traffic to thin out.

Then, about the time I was ready to head to the house a flood let loose and it has been awful weather ever since. I have made camp at a nice hotel and am enjoying a little wine as a reward to myself for a job well done.

WHen I get home tomorrow I will upload the video for all to watch.
Until them you can keep an eye on WAFF and WHNT as they may post video snippets. Tomorrow's Huntsville Times will also have an article about the event today in which I should have an excellent quote about the complete lack of Republican representation at this event and at the Alabama Conference of Black Mayors back in March.

Stay tuned...

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Nall to Address PTA Convention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Loretta Nall for Governor Campaign
c/o Alabama Libertarian Party
2330 Highland Ave.
Birmingham AL 35205
Phone: 251-650-2271
Cell: 256-625-9599
Email: cnall1@charter.net
Website: Nall for Governor

Loretta Nall to Address Alabama PTA Convention during Gubernatorial Candidate Forums

Alexander City, AL -- April 20, 2006 -- On Friday, April 21, 2006 Libertarian Party candidate for Governor, Loretta Nall, will address the Alabama Parent Teacher Association convention during the gubernatorial candidate forums. This event will take place at the Holiday Inn Select in downtown Huntsville beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at 11:30 a.m.
Each candidate will be given 2-3 minutes for an opening statement and then will answer questions from the panel.

Mrs. Nall will be addressing issues such as unfunded federal mandates like No Child Left Behind which prevent our teachers from teaching, as well as issues like cops in schools, student drug testing and the need for Alabama to begin foreign language instruction in early elementary education so that Alabama's children will be able to compete in a global economy.

All media and supporters are invited to attend. For more information please visit the PTA website.
To schedule an interview please call Mrs. Nall directly at 256-625-9599 or email her.

This information provided by the Nall for Governor Campaign
Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense

###


Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Redneck Famous Last Words


Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, GA

Associated Press
04/18/06

FORT PAYNE, Ala. - A Georgia man was hospitalized after jumping from the side of DeSoto Falls and plunging 150 feet before hitting the water.

The leap wasn't a suicide attempt since several witnesses reported that prior to the plunge, the man yelled, "Watch this," said Tim Whitehead, superintendent of DeSoto State Park.

Jason Carter, 23, of Trion, Ga., jumped from the east side of the canyon at about 3 p.m. Monday, Whitehead said. He was airlifted to Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, Tenn., after rescue personnel spent three hours removing him from the canyon. Carter, who was treated for a back injury, was reported to be in stable condition Tuesday.

"He was standing there for a good minute or two, contemplating to do it or not," said Will Smith, a witness. "Next thing you know, he just took off running and jumped off."

Whitehead said Carter landed in an area of water that's 10 feet deep or less. He said Carter told rescuers that he hit something underwater.

Carter managed to swim out of the water, but couldn't make it any further.

Rescue workers brought Carter up the side of the canyon in a basket, Whitehead told the Fort Payne Times-Journal. He was conscious during the rescue.
------------------------------------------

I am sure, if translated properly, what the gentleman actually said was something like, "Hey Y'all....Wah-chis!" more commonly known as "Redneck Famous Last Words".

Saturday, April 15, 2006

More Excited than the Lt. Gov

Another campaign blurb on For The Record.

I wonder if Tim's remark upset Lucy? I thought it was rather amusing myself.

Thanks Tim for sticking me in that segment....even if it does piss off your guests and my opponents.

This is going to be a wild year.

Friday, April 14, 2006

Nall 4 Guv in Bama

NALL 4 GUV in 'BAMA





The media covers her boobs and activist history,
but what she really needs
is your support
to get on the ballot.

She's facing Roy "Taliban" Moore, "Billion Dollar" Bob Riley,
Don "Indicted" Siegelman and Lucy "Duck the Issues" Baxley.
We've got to stop them before they spread!

Read More...

America vs. Third Parties

This is a really spectacular article on the state of third parties in America.
Well worth the read.

America vs. Third Parties

(CBS) This commentary was written by CBSNews.com's Dick Meyer. In springtime, a young wonk's heart turns to, um, third parties. Really.

No young person who has ever followed politics with the ferocity of a sports fan, no citizen who has been an idealist for at least a few hours, hasn't daydreamed about a third party or independent candidate – a third party winner, actually. At some point everyone with a civic soul, no matter what their ideological flavor, has yearned for an independent spirit to break through the homogenized, cuisinarted horse manure that is modern American politics.

Italy this week seems to have elected a new prime minister who isn't a party guy. Romano Prodi ran as the head of a coalition of parties, not one party.

Yet we are stuck with the same two parties, ad nauseam. It's like a world where there are two baseball teams, the Yankees and the Dodgers. Every year since the 1800s they have played 162 games against each other, and then played each other in the playoffs, and then the World Series. The players change, but never the teams.

It's "Groundhog Day" meets Sartre. No wonder people tune out.

READ MORE

Libertarians Make it Official

This is a really great opinion piece which points out my broad appeal to voters of all stripes. I honestly believe if I can keep up this kind of good media coverage then on November 7 I will be elected the new Governor of Alabama.

Kim, if you are reading this...my sincerest thanks for this piece.

The Wetumpka Herald
Opinion
Kim Price, Editor

When you go to the ballot box on June 6, you will find candidates listed under the Republican and Democrat tickets. You will have to decide which ticket you support in the primary. You cannot vote for candidates from both parties on June 6.

The runoff date has been changed to July 18 this year by the Legislature to allow service men and women overseas to vote. You can cross-over vote if you wish in that election.

There will not be a ballot for a Libertarian candidate for governor, Loretta Nall. She has no opposition from within her party, but she will be on the general election ballot. Her candidacy required enough signatures from other Libertarians to make it official.

When she first came on the political scene, she was referred to as the “marijuana” candidate, referencing her stand to legalize marijuana.

When the Libertarian Party met last weekend to make her their official candidate, the only mention of her pro-marijuana stand was Nall’s platform - which one must assume is the party platform - for reforming drug policies in the state.

And there were some other interesting items on her agenda, many ideas that are supported across the state by Democrats and Republicans surprisingly.

"My candidacy heralds the dawn of a new era in Alabama politics in which the common people will once again have a voice in their government and common sense will rule on Goat Hill," she said in a released statement.

Nall's platform, which she calls “just common sense,” promotes “Initiative and Referendum, drug policy and prison reform, tax cuts for private and home school families, repealing sales tax on food, non-compliance with the Patriot and REAL ID Acts, calling for Alabama National Guard troops to be brought home from Iraq, separation of religion and government, legal lottery and casino gambling run by private enterprise and the promotion and development of alternative fuel sources so that Alabama can begin to decrease its dependence on foreign oil.”

She held a news conference yesterday at the State Capitol where two other Libertarian candidates and Nall officially kicked off their campaigns.

In the last election, the Libertarian candidates received more votes than any previous election. That may signal some positive signs for Nall, but in Alabama politics money talks, and Nall’s ability to raise money to get her name in public view will be the key to any success that she might garner.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Talk Back Video



Watch Loretta Nall on WAKA Channel 8's TALK BACK

I think the segment went GREAT and I am very happy with it. The news crew was very supportive of my ideas and I think they all really enjoyed my un-stuffed shirtiness....yeah yeah I know that isn't a word...but you know what I mean.

One member if the news crew said,"I am so disenfranchised with our current choices I am almost sick. I want the government out of my wallet and my personal business."

And I said, "My you sound like a Libertarian."

This person asked for some info cards and said they would be investigating the LP and likely voting for me as well.

I wasn't really sure how to answer the "role model" question. I was thinking "Man politicians are about the worst possible role models for anyone...maybe you should find them some new ones"....but I thought that might sound rude.
I am not sure that saying what I said was any less rude but, really, being a role model is not in the job description.

I loved the little guy from Ridge Crest which is an inner city housing project calling in and saying "let by gones be by gones...we support you..."
That was priceless!!

WAKA Channel 8 Talk Back TODAY!!

WAKA Channel 8 just called and invited me to come in today at 4:45 and do their "Talk Back" segment.

I will be interviewed by Monica Allen and then I will take live calls fom viewers for about 6 minutes.

They have also invited me to be part of their candidate debates in May where everyone except Riley has committed to participating.
YES!
YES!
YES!


Watch the 5 o'clock news on Channel 8 in Montgomery and someone please record it for me.

Loretta

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Woman heads Libertarian ticket

By John Davis
Montgomery Advertiser


It took 16 votes to give Loretta Nall the Libertarian Party's backing for governor. It's going to take 40,996 more registered voters to get her on the November general election ballot.

Nall, who lives in Alexander City, is in step with Republican and Democratic candidates in some ways, and in others, not so much. She supports a lottery and wants to reduce the prison population.

But Nall, who is appealing a 2004 misdemeanor drug possession conviction, also is in favor of legalizing marijuana.

"Making the drugs illegal hasn't stopped anybody from getting drugs," she said Tuesday at her nomination announcement on the Capitol steps. Her campaign for governor is backed by the U.S. Marijuana Party that she founded.

Nall said changing drug laws could lead to reducing Alabama's 28,000-plus prison population, a population that will cost the General Fund $319 million next year.

Despite opposition in her own small ranks -- six out of 22 people cast votes against her at the party's convention Saturday -- Nall says her "chances are as good as anybody else's."

She believes the government has been "stupid on crime." Other things she's against: the war in Iraq, the Patriot Act and Jesus in government.

"I think we need to get the government out of education as much as possible," she said, pushing for tax breaks and vouchers for people who send their kids to private schools.

In addition to Nall, Dick Coffee of Mobile won the party's nomination for U.S. House, District 1. Dick Clark of Auburn will run for state House District 79 in the general election and William McLaurine is a candidate for Auburn city mayor.

None of the Libertarian candidates are being challenged by other party members in the June primary.


Note: The reference to Jesus is not a quote. It appears to be someone's interpretation of some printed material. Probably "keeping the government out of the Church" would be more accurate.
-Terry

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Great Coverage Today!!

Today I, along with fellow members of the Alabama Libertarian Party, and supporters held a news conference on the steps of the State Capitol. It was well attended by the media.

In attendance were representatives from WAKA Channel 8, For The Record (which is my favorite local show...I think Tim Lennox should take over as anchorman for NBC Nightly News...he is just SUPERB), The Montgomery Advertiser and Alabama Public Radio.

I hope to have a clip of the APR segment as soon as it goes online and the Advertiser article will be out tomorrow. FOr now I have clips of the FTR and WAKA coverage.

The FTR clip has a hum, which was my fault, and is very jumpy, which I assume is related to technical difficulties at Alabama Public TV. They will have it available online later which will fix the hum but not the jump.
Watch For The Record Segment (windows media video 2:00)

Watch WAKA 8 Segment (windows media video 1:38)

News Conference Today

I will be holding a news conference today beginning at 10 am on the steps of the Capitol Building in Montgomery.
Please attend if you are able.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Nall Still Running..Maintains Innocence

Alexander City Outlook

Nall still running, maintains innocence

By Patrick McCreless

Loretta Nall was officially recognized as the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor of Alabama Saturday, two days before her court appearance to appeal a 2004 drug conviction.

The announcement was made at the party's annual convention in Montgomery. Although others were nominated at the convention, Nall was the only person who was officially vying for the nomination, she said.

Nall, who is the founder of the Alabama Marijuana Party, appeared in the Tallapoosa County Circuit Court Monday to continue her appeal. The day was a chance for her to accept a plea offer by the state.

However, like her last court appearance in March, her lawyer did not show, so her appeal was postponed for another six months. "Basically, you can't take somebody to trial without your attorney present," Nall said.

Nall said her attorney, who works out of Birmingham, was not notified in time. "Neither he or I got a summons," she said.

The Tallapoosa County Narcotics Task Force arrested Nall in a November 2002 raid on her house where 0.87 grams of marijuana was discovered. She was convicted of misdemeanor marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia in February 2004. The Alexander City resident has no prior arrest record and maintains her innocence of the charges.

Ever since her arrest and conviction, Nall has been promoting the legalization of marijuana, but does not want that to be the center issue of her campaign. "It's going to be attached to me no matter what I do," she said. She intends to focus more on drug law reform in general.

Besides drug law reform, Nall plans to campaign for legal lottery and casino gambling run by private enterprise, the promotion of alternative fuel sources and tax cuts for private and home school families. She also wants to promote non-compliance with the Patriot and REAL ID Acts.

"They're the two most offensive documents ever signed into law by the United States of America," Nall said. "We don't need the government with their noses up our asses."

Unlike other Libertarian candidates, Nall said, her campaign strategy will not try to pull votes from the Republicans and Democrats. Instead, she wants to focus on those who do not usually vote at all. "I want to let the people who have been disenfranchised ... to let them know that we're here," Nall said.

To date, all of Nall's funding has come from individual donations, many of which are from outside of the state. "I have no interest in large corporate donations," she said. "I want this to be a campaign funded by the people."

Court Update: 6 Months Continuance

My case was continued again today for another 6 months....but not before I had to spend a few hours in the hot sun after all of the defendants were kicked out of the courtroom while the jury was picked.

The former prosecutor turned defense attorney in my case called me into a back room and told me that the judge had originally denied the motion to continue filed by my attorney but for some undisclosed reason he decided to reconsider and grant the motion.
I told him I would dearly love to see the court try to conduct my trial without my attorney present. That would be priceless. I also informed him that neither I nor my attorney received a summons in the mail to appear today.
He said "I'm not surprised."

Court will not come back up again until sometime in October a mere month before the election.

The local paper just interviewed me about receiving the nomination and it will run tomorrow.

Anyway, I am off to write my remarks for the news conference for tomorrow.
How many of you have plans to be there?

Loretta

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Loretta Nall Wins Libertarian Party Nomination

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Nall for Governor Campaign
2330 Highland Ave
Birmingham AL, 35205
256-625-9599
251-650-2271
cnall1@charter.net
http://www.nallforgovernor.com
http://www.lpalabama.org

Loretta Nall Officially Named Libertarian Party Candidate for Governor

April 9, 2006 -- Alexander City, AL -- On April 8, 2006 the Libertarian Party of Alabama held its annual convention in Montgomery where, amidst much excitement and some spirited debate, they officially named Loretta Nall as their candidate for Governor in the 2006 election.

In a statement released by Nall after the convention she stated,
"I am deeply honored to be given the official sanction of the Alabama Libertarian Party to run for the office of Governor. I am committed to doing everything in my power to make this a successful election with progressive political victories on many fronts in addition to being victorious in my bid for the Governor's seat.
My candidacy heralds the dawn of a new era in Alabama politics in which the common people will once again have a voice in their government and common sense will rule on Goat Hill."

Nall's platform, which she maintains is just common sense, promotes Initiative & Referendum, drug policy and prison reform, tax cuts for private and home school families, repealing sales tax on food, non-compliance with the Patriot and REAL ID Acts, calling for Alabama National Guard troops to be brought home from Iraq, separation of religion and Government, legal lottery and casino gambling run by private enterprise and the promotion and development of alternative fuel sources so that Alabama can begin to decrease its dependence on foreign oil.

A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday April 11, 2006 at 10 a.m. on the steps of the State Capitol in Montgomery where Loretta Nall and two other candidates Dick Clark for House District 79 and William McLaurien for Mayor of Auburn will be presented to the people of Alabama and will officially kick off their campaigns.

For more information please contact the Nall for Governor campaign via email or at 256-625-9599 or the Alabama Libertarian Party at 205-401-7331.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Alabama Libertarian Party Convention...Y'all Come!!

Schedule for LPA Convention 2006

When: April 8, 2006
Where: The Country Inn & Suites
5155 Carmichael Rd
Montgomery, AL


9 a.m. –10 a.m. Social Hour and sign–in

10 Convention Begins

10 –10:30
Chairman’s Remarks
Credentials Committee Report

10:30 –11:15 Rep. Randy Hinshaw
Speech and Q/A

11:15 –11:45 Vice Chairman’s Report

11:45 –12:00 Administrator’s Report

12:00 –1:30 Lunch

1:30–2:15
Executive Committee Reports

Break

2:15 – 3 Vice Admiral Michael Colley (Ret.)
Speech and Q/A

3:00–3:45 Sharon Harris
Speech and Q/A

Break

4:00–4:15 John Sophocleus Remarks

4:15- 5:15 Candidate Stumping and Voting

5:15–6 Officers Elections and Bylaws

6:00 Convention officially ends

Alabama Poised for Sentencing Reform

Drug Policy Alliance

Alabama's governor is expected to sign an important sentencing reform bill passed last week by the legislature. The bill, SB 231, creates voluntary sentencing guidelines for the state, which has a serious prison overcrowding problem fueled largely by harsh sentences for nonviolent drug possession offenses (PDF report). Drug Policy Alliance worked to support the bill in the legislature as part of the New Bottom Line Campaign, an Alabama group that works to promote effective drug policies.

Voluntary sentencing guidelines are a key step in reducing prison overcrowding and reforming Alabama's chaotic criminal justice system. Over a third of all prison admissions last year were for low-level drug offenses, with sentences varying widely in severity throughout the state.

The new guidelines were developed by the state Sentencing Commission with significant input from the New Bottom Line Campaign. They alter the sentencing schemes in Alabama for a variety of offenses, making especially significant changes to drug offense sentences. For example, the new guidelines do not mandate a prison term for marijuana possession until the fourth offense. Current sentencing policy penalizes a second possession of marijuana as a felony with a mandatory minimum prison sentence, and a third offense can lead to a sentence of over 20 years or even life.

While the new guidelines will be voluntary, three fourths of judges are expected to follow them. Therefore, these guidelines are an extremely significant step forward for better drug and criminal justice policies in Alabama. The momentum from this victory will propel DPA and its partners in the New Bottom Line Campaign toward further substantive reform in the state, and in the South as a whole.

"This is just a small victory in a larger effort to end the war on drugs in Alabama," said Rev. Kenny Glasgow, co-director of the New Bottom Line Campaign and strong DPA ally. "This shows us that the dream is not impossible—in fact, another South is possible, and we’re working to build this movement. From the back of the bus to the front of the prison, the struggle for justice continues!"

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Alabama Compassionate Care Act Dies in Committee

HB663 known as The Alabama Compassionate Care Act, which would allow patients suffering from various debilitating medical conditions to use marijuana as medicine with the approval of their physician, died in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee this session. At this time there will be no further action on the bill until the next legislative session in Jan. 2007. It might also come up in any special session conducted between now and then.

As disappointing as this delay is please know that it is not the end. Our goals at present are to conduct more outreach work, facilitate more public discussions, educate more members of the public, the medical community and our elected officials about this issue and to continue to assert that sick and dying people do not belong in prison for trying to ease their suffering.

As we work towards passage of this bill in the next legislative session we will need the help and support of all Alabamians.
If you are a patient suffering from a condition that marijuana has been proven to help and believe you should have safe access, the loved one of a patient who uses medical marijuana, a physician or other caregiver or if you are someone who simply believes that the practice of medicine is best left to physicians and not to police officers and the courts then we need your help and involvement in this process.

Please contact me if you would like more information on how you can help.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

No Compassionate Care Meeting Today

UPDATE 1:51 PM I have just spoken with my inside person but have no new information other than to reinstate the Action Alert and ask you to continue to call and have others interested in HB663 The Compassionate Care Act call their ELECTED OFFICIAL and ask them to support this bill.


UPDATE 12:56 pm As of now I am uncertain what is happening with HB663 the Compassionate Care Act. As I understand right now it is hung up in committee because of an unrelated bill and it may or may not be scheduled in committee before Friday hich is the last day of committee meetings.

If you have been calling your elected officials you can stop now until I hear for certain what happens next.

Please excuse the sort of false alarm....these things happen in politics.

Check back soon for updates.

DHS spokesman arrested in child sex sting



A deputy press secretary for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was arrested Tuesday at his Maryland home on charges he used his computer in an attempt to seduce a child and transmitted harmful materials to a minor, according to the Polk County, Florida, Sheriff's Office.

Brian J. Doyle, 55, is charged with seven counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and 16 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor, according to a sheriff's office statement.

READ MORE

Now wait a minute....these morons are suppossed to "protect us from terrorists" but they can't even keep a damn child molester from among their ranks. And this kind of press is not the kind of press the DHS had in mind when they hired Chester Molester there to be their spokesperson. I'm sorry for the kids that have suffered so this goon could get his jollies....but it is damn sweet to see the MIGHTY fall in this manner.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Alabama Compassionate Care Act

UPDATE: 4:37 am, April 5. I still do not have a definite confirmation on whether the Compassionate Care Act will be before the Judiciary Committee today or not. I am still going to Montgomery and will update the blog from there as soon as I get the word.

It looks like the Compassionate Care Act will be coming up in the Alabama House Judiciary Committee on tomorrow Apr. 5, 2006. I will have definite confirmation of that later this evening and will confirm it here on the blog.

Starting tomorrow morning I need each and every one of you residing in Alabama to begin calling your legislator. Emails are good too. Instructions, numbers and talking points are below.

The most important things, are, as you know, to speak from personal experience and to be respectful.

For the phone calls:

Folks should call the House, not the Senate. (334)242-7600 is the general switchboard number.

The basic points people should cover are:

* Calling to urge support of HB 663, Alabama’s Compassionate Care Act.
* This bill will help protect patients and doctors
* marijuana has proven medical uses, as shown by the government’s own studies.
* Alabama residents in pain should not be denied access to an effective medicine that can ease their suffering
* The federal government cannot prevent a state from protecting patients and doctors under state law
* Alabama needs to regulate the use of marijuana for medical purposes so that patients aren’t criminalized, nor are they forced into the illegal market for their medicine.

Please contact me if you have any questions. The number is 1-(877)-528-5647. Your legislators information including email address can be found at this link

If this bill comes up tomorrow and you can be in attendance at the committee meeting please help us have a strong show of support.

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Lunch With Friends

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting BlueGal, BitterOldPunk and Stephen Gordon who is my sometimes political adviser and blogger over at HammerOfTruth for lunch in Birmingham.

They have all three beat me to posting a blog entry about our meeting.
I had a great time. Over the last four years of political activism I have met many people in person who I originally was introduced to online. Some of my most important and solid relationships have come from those experiences and I expect the addition of BlueGal and BitterOldPunk to that list of people will be no different.

Both BlueGal and BOP are a scream to be around. Great sense of humors, a tight grip on political reality, the desire to cause serious trouble for those jack-booted thugs in power. I am so happy to know there are at least two others in Alabama who are as dedicated to trouble-making as I am.

Thanks again you two for a fun filled afternoon. We'll do it again soon!!

Nall for Governor Campaign Goodies

I have released some new campaign merchandise for fundraising purposes.



These T-shirts will only be available for a limited time and will likely become collectors items.
GET YOUR'S TODAY!!!

All proceeds go to support the Nall for Governor Campaign.

Prisons crack down on inmate rape

Montgomery Advertiser

Soon, Alabama's drab prison walls will be speckled with a series of bold posters intended to crush the taboo of inmate rape. Prisoners will be handed pamphlets that tell them they don't have to put up with sexual abuse. Corrections officers will undergo mandatory training on how to help victims behind bars.

A prisoner "has the right to do his time and feel safe," said Randy Yarbrough, director of investigations and intelligence for the Alabama Department of Corrections. "If he has nothing else, he has that."
READ MORE

I am glad to see this. It has only been about three years ago that Alabama passed a law making it illegal for male corrections officers to rape female inmates. It was LEGAL up until that time because inmates are property of the state.

Think prisoner rape is a joke? WATCH THIS and see if you feel the same when you are done.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can stop the unfathomable reality of prison rape please visit SPR