Friday, December 01, 2006

It's a Mexican Standoff at the Alabama State House

Republicans plan to add 35 more Democrats to election challenge

By BOB JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A Republican leader said Thursday the GOP plans to add the names of 35 House Democrats to a fast-growing lawsuit that soon could challenge the elections of almost half of the members of the Alabama Legislature.

House Minority Leader Rep. Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, said the lawsuit, originally filed against four Democratic state senators, will be amended to include the 35 House Democrats who he said did not have opposition in the party primary and did not file disclosure forms with the Secretary of State.

The decision to add more Democrats to the lawsuit comes after Democrats intervened in the lawsuit and asked that it include a group of Republicans - four senators, 21 representatives and two appellate court judges - who had no opposition in the Republican primary and didn't file campaign finance reports.

"We had hoped that this dispute could be kept among members of the Senate, but partisan Democrat attorneys have chosen to bring the House into the matter," Hubbard said Thursday. "In order to protect our Republican House members and the seats to which they were elected, there is no choice but to name these 35 Democrat candidates in an action."
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Wouldn't it be an amazing thing if both of these lawsuits actually managed to clean out the state house and senate to a large degree? Just think, we might actually be able to place competent people in their positions and change the course of Alabama forever.

I know, I know....I'm dreaming....but I think I will write Santa and ask for these lawsuits to be successful anyway.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Loretta:

I'm writing to Santa to see if we could clean America of the corrupt Republicans and Democrats. I also sent you an E Mail on new laws passed without our permission.

Roberto C. Alvarez-Galloso,CPUR
alvarezgalloso.blogster.com

The Alabama Moderate said...

An admission of guilt: I haven't looked at the full list. Both my representative (McClendon) and my senator (Beason) were unopposed in the general election this year. If either is on that list and is kicked out of office, I'm tempted to run with a big, fat "(I)" next to my name.

I like McClendon, though, so I hope he's not on the list. I'm not so sure about Beason. From what I understand, he was behind the infamous "Adam and Steve" attack against another candidate not too long ago. The only beef that I've had with McClendon thus far is that he was behind the attempt at throwing junior high students in booster seats.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be an amazing thing if both of these lawsuits actually managed to clean out the state house and senate to a large degree?

What about elections? These fellas were chosen by a majority of their district. I may disagree with the results, but their not (well, one is) my respresentative. I don't really like Ted Kennedy, either, but I wouldn't forcibly remove him from the US Senate -- a majority of Mass.-ians seem to like him.

If these reps are bad for the people they represent (and some may be), then the people deserve the government they get.

Loretta Nall said...

I am with Alabama Moderate...I would run with a big (I) next to my name.

I think with these lawsuits we are getting bad government. This clearly demonstrates that Democrats and Republicans would rather engage in a pissing match and risk toppling both sides of the house than deal with Alabama's present problems and issues.

I am not opposed to "do-overs" in this case.

Besides, it's fun to watch them implode.

Don said...

This is great sport in my book. We don’t need a legislature with 140 members anyway, so removing about half of them (wishful thinking, because I doubt that happening) would suit me just fine even though my rep is on the list. Some in the original can of worms suit filed by Monteil are an impediment to good government anyway. I think his suit is in deep doo-doo now that it will be in Judge Price’s hands and with Hank Sanders as one of the targets.

There’s more to this than just tit-for-tat politics. Behind part of it (challenging Means, especially) is involved in the struggle to maintain control of the senate by Barron.

This is the list of those involved in the suits thus far:

Officials named in litigation over campaign finance reports
(from the Tuscaloosa News @ http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061129/APN/611292377 )
By The Associated Press
November 29. 2006 6:03PM
Democratic officials named in litigation over the filing of campaign finance reports:

Sen. Lowell Barron of Fyffe

Sen. Roger Bedford of Russellville

Sen. Zeb Little of Cullman

Sen. Larry Means of Attalla

Sen. Hank Sanders of Selma

Republican officials named in litigation over the filing of campaign finance reports:

Civil Appeals Court Judge Craig Pittman

Criminal Appeals Court Judge Greg Shaw

Rep. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa

Rep. Alan Baker of Brewton

Rep. Jim Barton of Mobile

Rep. Warren Harris Beck of Geneva

Rep. Steve Clouse of Ozark

Rep. Randy Davis of Daphne

Rep. Paul DeMarco of Howewood

Rep. Joe Faust of Fairhope

Rep. Blaine Galliher of Gadsden

Rep. Victor Gaston of Mobile

Rep. Todd Greeson of Ider

Rep. Mike Hill of Columbiana

Rep. Jamie Ison of Mobile

Rep. Ron Johnson of Sylacauga

Rep. Jay Love of Montgomery

Rep. Barry Mask of Wetumpka

Rep. Steve McMillan of Gulf Shores

Rep. Howard Sanderford of Huntsville

Rep. Harry Shiver of Bay Minette

Rep. Elwyn Thomas of Oneonta

Rep. Cam Ward of Alabaster

Sen. Steve French of Birmingham

Sen. Del Marsh of Anniston

Sen. Jabo Waggoner of Vestavia Hills

Sen. Harri Anne Smith of Slocomb
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(REP MIKE HUBBARD SAYS REPUBLICANS WILL ADD 35 DEMOCRATS TO THE LIST)