Thursday, August 31, 2006

Christian Coalition Name Change Contest

Bumping this post. Winners will be announced by 5 PM today. If you have any last minute entries get them in now.

UPDATE:IRS Lawsuits, voter guide distribution against national rules and more!!!

UPDATE 2: Welcome C&L Readers!!

Got the following announcement in my email and thought it would be fun to have us a little contest to help the "Christian Coalition" of Alabama come up with a name much more appropriate than the one they are abandoning.

MONTGOMERY-Today Christian Coalition of Alabama officials announced the formal notice of a name change. In a letter to Roberta Combs dated August 22, 2006, Christian Coalition of Alabama President John Giles stated, “I have been commissioned and authorized by the Board of Directors of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, Inc. to notify you as Chairman and President of the Christian Coalition of America of our plans to change the name of our state organization.” Alabama joins Iowa and Ohio state chapters in the departure as state affiliates of the Christian Coalition of America.
CCA Board of Directors is currently developing a new name and logo for the state operation, which will be unveiled on or before November 1, 2006.


Winners of this contest will be announced by me one week from today on August 30, 2006. Winners will receive something from my stash of "Nall for Governor" campaign goodies.

I'll start us off and my entries do not count as part of the contest....but you have to submit your own original suggestions.

1. The "We take Mississippi Indian Casino Money and Lie About It" coalition.

2. The Alabama Taliban Coalition

3. The Minsitry of Vice and Virtue

4. We Hate Fags and Women More Than You Do Coalition

5. God Only Loves White People Coalition

6. The Alabama Branch of the Westboro Baptist Church

Y'all chime in whenever you get ready.

Listen to this and then consider doing THIS!

Meth Judge Resigns

Judge resigns amid arrest on drug charges

CARROLLTON, Ala. (AP) -- A west Alabama judge has resigned nearly two weeks after he was arrested on drug charges in neighboring Columbus, Mississippi.

Former Pickens County District Judge Ira Colvin submitted his letter of resignation Monday to Circuit Judge James Moore, who oversees the 24th Judicial Circuit, which includes the county.

A copy of the resignation also was sent to Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Drayton Nabers.

Colvin was arrested August 14th and charged with possessing methamphetamine and materials used to manufacture the drug.

The former judge faces a similar charge in Pickens County after a grand jury recently indicted him after sheriff's investigators recovered meth from his office in Carrollton.According to spokesman, Gov. Bob Riley will appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
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As my friend RH said, "I bet that speedy little fucker could zip through a court docket."

Hartselle Cops Beat up 64-year-old Granny

Grandmother says Hartselle officer broke her leg in arrest

HARTSELLE, Ala. (AP) -- A 64-year-old Hartselle woman has filed a complaint against the police department alleging that an officer broke her leg in two places while arresting her.

Police Chief Ron Puckett said officers charged Marie McCay, 64, with obstruction of justice Monday.

Puckett said officers were serving a warrant on Chris McCay, 32, when she was arrested.

Officers charged Chris McCay with two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. They transported him to Morgan County Jail, where deputies held him in lieu of $40,000 bond.

Puckett said Hartselle will investigate the woman's allegations.

Richard McCay said his mother, still in Hartselle Medical Center, was an innocent bystander.

"I'd love to tell you the entire story, but I'm under advice from a lawyer not to," he told The Decatur Daily in a story Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Riley announces 'elimination' of state inmate backlog

And immediately grants $155,000 to a drug task force in Elmore County to fill the jails back up!!!
And they say I'm stoned!!


Gov. Bob Riley and Corrections Commissioner Richard Allen announced that the number of state inmates in county jails beyond the 30-day allowable limit has reached zero. Riley said a backlog that was 800 in January has been eliminated and is working to keep it that way.

Coming to office in January of 2003, Riley’s administration inherited a backlog of almost 1,600 state inmates in county jails over a 30-day limit. That backlog remained at zero for about a year before it began building up again.

After implementing an Action Plan by the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) to deal with issues including the backlog of inmates in county jails, the plan has worked to adjust several prisons to open up more space for prisoners. The addition of 850 new beds is a result of the reconstruction of several facilities and ADOC recently signed a contract to house 600 prisoners at a private prison in Louisiana.
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This is anything but PROBLEM SOLVED. Sure, the state inmates may be out of county facilities where the state reimbursed the counties $1.75 per inmate per day(could you live on $1.75 a day?) but now they are in out-of-state facilities and that is costing us twice what it would cost to house them here. Not to mention how hard this is on inmates families. It is further destruction of the famiy unit because of difficulty in visiting due to cost of travel.

It will cause a rise in recidivism because studies have shown that an inmate who receives at least 12 visits while in prison has a lower recidivism rate than those whose family never comes to visit or visits rarely.

Most of these inmates are likely non-violent drug offenders and until the drug laws are fixed more and more people will go into the prison system and this will once again become a problem in county jails.

Tell the Bob Riley you are not as stupid as he wishes you were and that you are INSULTED by this expensive shell game being passed off as a solution to the problem.

Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense

Senate Appropriations Committee SPANKS ONDCP!!

Courtesy of Drug War Rant

Riley Gives $155,000 to Door Kicker-Inners

Gov. Bob Riley has awarded a $155,000 grant to reduce the sale, distribution and use of illegal drugs in Elmore County. The grant will provide money to the Central Alabama Drug Task Force to continue investigations and special operations necessary to reduce drug crimes and illegal drugs.

Believing that illegal drug crimes affect all sections of Alabama, Riley says the grant will help provide the Central Alabama Drug Task Force with the tools needed to pursue and prosecute drug dealers and users.

The Central Alabama Drug Task Force assists local, state and federal agencies in reducing drugs in Alabama. Funding for the grant was made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs will administer the grant.
--------------------------

This is not the way to reduce drug use or crime. Please watch last's nights For the Record and listen to the experts say repeatedly that drug prohibition is working NO BETTER than alcohol prohibition did.

Tell the government to stop wasting your money waging war on its own people. A war that amounts to a government jobs program, the destruction of the family unit, loss of constitutional rights and civil liberties and the rise of the police state. Pretty soon there will be calls for

"A Door Kicker-Inner for every house!"

Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense

Monday, August 28, 2006

Oh please!! - Save Us From Scientists Playing With the Pleasure Centers of Our Brains

Last night on For the Record the topic was substance abuse and treatment. Tim's two guests are Dr. Jim Alford who treats physicians addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. He also claims to have a 95% success rate which is almost impossible to believe (What does he do lobotomize them?). The other guest is Jimmy Rogers who works for the Council on Substance Abuse. I am glad that the guests weren't two jerks from the DA's office and the local police force. Overall the entire show is an argument for legalization and an admission that current policy is not working. Tim Lennox was a pro, as usual, giving just enough rope to allow his guests to hang themselves.
Great job Tim!!

WATCH IT HERE

I managed to get a call in around the 14:00 minute mark and neither guest really answered my question. No surprise there. Mr. Rogers agreed that legalization and regulation would be one way to deal with the crime rate, disease and other negative things caused by prohibition. He also said the usual line "What about the children?"
I say that prohibition has not protected our children and everything they say in this show validates the argument for legalization.

Dr. Alford went off on a tangent about the elderly becoming addicted to their pain medications and children selling ADD/ADHD medications at school.

That has nothing to do with prohibition of certain drugs. Legal drugs obtained by prescription are the responsibility of the person receiving the prescription. If this person is a minor then it is a PARENTS responsibility to ensure that medications are taken in the manner prescribed. Locking me up for smoking a joint will have ZERO effect on a kid selling their speed at school or Maw-Maw selling a few xanax to supplement her lousy fixed income.

I'd also like to point out that Dr. Alford is dead wrong on the issue of which method of ingestion is quickest. He claims anything smoked enters the system and brain faster than an IV injection. You'd really expect a physician to know better than that. His claims about marijuana are absolutely bogus and obviously fabricated by the government. I smoke pot and I am sharp as a tack. No short term memory loss, amotivational syndrome, lack of ability to hold a job or any of the other 'side effects' he claims as scientifically proven are present in me. And even if he were telling the truth would those side effects be a reason to imprison an otherwise law abiding citizen?

The show ends with Dr. Alford and Tim discussing drugs being produced to block the pleasure centers in our brain from reacting to the effects of drugs.

Oh please!! - Save Us From Scientists Playing With the Pleasure Centers of Our Brains

Anyone ever thought that humans alter their state of consciousness BECAUSE WE ARE SUPPOSSED TO? Could it possibly be a NATURAL PART OF BEING HUMAN? For more information of the history of human drug use click here.

I also want to comment about a segment of the show before the discussion begins where Tim informs us that no matter who wins the election they are going to be rich. Gov. Riley, Lt. Gov. Baxley, Jim Folsom Jr. and Luther Strange already have way more money than the average Alabamian, live in better houses and a whole host of other things. He goes on to say that a political scientist says this makes sense because people who live from paycheck to paycheck cannot afford the time, money and effort it takes to run a campaign. Too bad they didn't call me for this survey. I am a regular Alabama citizen living paycheck to paycheck and I have managed to find the time and recources (although very limited) to run a campaign for the highest office in the state. I think the real truth is most people have no desire to be public servants and many probably think that people who do hold public office are in some way superior to them. So there you have it....the rich rule the poor and the system is set up so that it shall almost certainly always remain so.

On tonight's For the Record

FOR THE RECORD
Next Broadcast: Monday, August 28, 2006 6:30 pm and 11 pm

Drug and Alcohol Recovery

Some 14 percent of people in treatment for drug abuse say they began using at least one drug before the age of 13. Some 121 million Americans age 12 or older currently drink alcohol with 55 million saying they drink 5 or more drinks on at least one occasion. September is National Alcohol and Drug Recovery Month. Learn about programs and methods to help people with addiction. Viewers can ask questions by calling 1-866-552-0025 during the live 6:30pm broadcast.

Praise for Equality Alabama

I want to talk a little more about the happenings this past weekend in Montgomery. As you all surely know by now Patricia Todd was reinstated as the District 54 nominee. And that is exactly how things should be.

I want to give special acknowledgement and praise to the members of Equality Alabama for all of their hard work on this. I really don't understand homophobia. Not at all. The people who make up the ranks of Equality Alabama are some of the most wonderful people you would ever want to meet. I admire the hell out of their determination and persistence. In every instance where I have had the privilige of working with them they have been stellar. They are always happy, smiling, energetic and patient. They show up en masse, with signs, t-shirts and handouts and they refuse to be broken by the ignorance and hate all around them. They inspire me to do better in my own work and life. The Democratic Party is crazy for not going out of their way to promote equal rights for gays and lesbians. I wish I had Equality Alabama working on my campaign. With that kind of dedication and number of devoted people I know I could win this election. If you aren't a member of Equality Alabama but are interested in becoming one or at least joining their mailing list please check out their website and consider lending a hand.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Democracy is a Beautiful thing when it works

I spent today as an interloper at the Alabama Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting in Montogmery, AL. My main reason for attending this meeting was to show my support for Patricia Todd . I am very happy to report that the Democrats did the RIGHT THING and reinstated her as the House District 54 nominee.

I am not up for writing a long article right this second but there are a few things I want to get out right away. For more in-depth coverage of todays events please visit Kathy over at Birmingham Blues. She blogged on site and has a very accurate and detailed recounting of what happened.

1. I have a great deal of newfound respect for Joe Turnham , who exhibited the patience equivalent to that of the biblical Job in today's three ring circus. It takes infinite patience and great skill to keep ones composure for 3 1/2 brutal hours under the kinds of circumstances in that room today.

2. The Black Democrats in Alabama owe their souls to Rep. Alvin Holmes for his remarks in todays meeting. I don't remember the exact wording that Rep. Holmes used but it went something like this, "We as black people know better than anybody about selective persecution and what the sub-committee used on Thursday to disqualify Ms. Todd was selective persecution."

"Ms. Todd won the election by 59 votes and the Supreme Court has already ruled that filing late is not a basis for forfeiting the election. The people have spoken. Give this woman her seat."

Bless Alvin. I may not agree with him on every single issue but he consistently stands up for what is right. While every other black democratic executive committee member stood against doing the right thing and playing the race card Alvin Holmes stood his ground and stood for what was right and just and fair. The Democrats should feel very fortunate to have him among their ranks. His impassioned speech today will be the saving grace of those who were trying every dirty trick in the book to subvert the democratic process and STEAL the vote..ironically the very same thing the Republicans have done to all of us the last two elections. It was very disturbing to see the vote split completely along racial lines when it wasn't a racial issue to begin with.

In the end the Democrats voted to do the right thing and reinstated Ms. Todd to her elected seat.

One more thing before I close out and take a nap (politics is draining work). I saw my friend Jordan Weissman who is interning with the BHAM News and asked him how he felt about Alabama politics after spending a summer with us. His response was "The next time it is time for assignments I am not even going to worry about what I get because after having survived Alabama politics I know I can survive anything."

I am glad we have broken you in good Jordan. Happy and safe travels back home and do stay in touch.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Holmes asks Darby to Leave Democratic Party

Rep. Holmes wants Holocaust denier gone

By Mike Linn
Montgomery Advertiser

A state lawmaker wants the Alabama Democratic Party to formally ask a controversial candidate to refrain from running in future elections as a Democrat.

Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, will ask the party’s executive committee at a meeting today to adopt a resolution asking Montgomery lawyer Larry Darby to step aside “due to his extreme views that the Holocaust did not exist.”

“Such a defense of Adolf Hitler and his Anti-Semitism is not in accord with the platform and bylaws of the Democratic Party,” the resolution says.

Darby, who lost in the Democratic primary for attorney general but has announced plans to run for Congress as a Democrat, said he would ignore the request.

“He can’t throw me out,” Darby said. “He’s just showing his ignorance and his contempt for anybody who does not agree with his Marxist ideology.”

Darby believes less than 300,000 Jews died during the Holocaust, although historical accounts put the number closer to six million.

He said he doesn’t understand why Holmes would to target a “free thinker” rather than Democrats like former Gov. Don Siegelman and state Rep. Bryant Melton of Tuscaloosa. A federal jury convicted Siegelman of bribery and related charges in June and Melton has admitted to laundering state funds to pay off gambling debts.

“I certainly haven't done anything that rises to the level of criminality," Darby said. “All I’m doing is exposing the Democratic Party for its institutional racism, hypocrasy and corruption. They don't like free speech.”

Holmes said once a candidate is convicted or has pleaded guilty to a crime they can’t run for public office, so the issue would be moot.

Zac McCrary, a spokesman for the Democratic Party, said to have Darby removed from the party, the executive committee must find that his principles aren’t consistant with those of the Democratic Party.

If passed, Holmes' resolution would merely amount to a request for Darby to leave, not an official party removal.
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The Democrat's have no one to blame but themselves and the Republicans for Darby's affiliation with the Democratic Party in Alabama. As I state in the linked article,

"This is exactly what the Democrats deserve for being a willing party to enacting such restrictive ballot access laws. They keep everyone out except the people who claim to be like them and what they get is someone joining them who claims to be like them and then reveals their true intent when it is too late to do anything about it.
Ha!! You Bastards...that is EXACTLY what you deserve. I feel absolutely NO SYMPATHY!"

See, if we had fair ballot access laws then people like Larry Darby, Joe Copeland and Harry Lyon could get on the ballot as say the "Hateful Cracker Bastards Party" and never have to infiltrate another party and embarass them to this degree.


I agree with Alvin that Larry Darby is not a Democrat...his views are waaaaaaaaaay more in line with the Alabama Republican/Neo-Con Party. Now that Darby has found Jesus maybe the Republican Party will allow him on their ticket. He'd fit right in.

And to Alvin Holmes, who I do not always agree with but respect a great deal....DON'T FEED THE TROLLS!!!

Theraputic Nanny State or Police State? You Decide

King, Tyson have contrasting styles, plans for AG's office

By GARRY MITCHELL
Associated Press Writer
From The Montgomery Advertiser

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) -- In the race for Alabama attorney general, Republican incumbent Troy King and Democrat John Tyson Jr. have contrasting styles and plans for making the state safer.

Tyson, a former state school board member and Mobile County's district attorney since 1994, says voters have a choice: "experience or no experience."

King, appointed to the post after serving as Gov. Bob Riley's legal adviser, says he has successfully pushed for tough new laws holding sex and drug offenders accountable for crimes and won a conviction in a capital murder case removed from Tyson's office.

While King has a "get-tough-on-crime" platform, Tyson promotes a plan for keeping criminals out of prison: Tackle their bad behavior early, such as targeting poor school attendance, and assign a "multidisciplinary team" to steer them away from crime.

That type of intervention is being used in Mobile County. When a teacher notices behavior that could lead to criminal offenses, for example, the DA's office writes a letter to the child's parents.

Eventually, other members of the team, including church leaders and child protection agencies, get involved.

Tyson believes it's an idea that could reduce inmate ranks in each county.

King, however, said it's not the attorney general's job to be a "social engineer," who uses the streets as a "social laboratory."

"It's his job to make our state safe," King told a convention of county commissioners Wednesday. King and Tyson addressed the convention in separate appearances at Orange Beach.

King, 37, was appointed attorney general by Riley in March 2004 to fill the seat vacated when Bill Pryor became a federal appeals court judge.

Tyson, 53, who earlier served four terms on the State Board of Education, cites his record as being involved in more than 25,000 felony convictions. He said all he hears from Montgomery is get "tough on crime" while the prison population soars.

"We have nearly every jail in Alabama full," Tyson said.

He said it's "better to stop the crime from happening in the first place."

The county officials appeared responsive to a plan to reduce their jail populations.

But King said prosecuting criminals is just one of several ways he favors to keep the state safe.

He cited death sentences in cases handled by his office for Westley Devon Harris in rural Crenshaw County, who was convicted in the shotgun murders of six members of a family at their farm in August 2002; and serial killer Jeremy Jones, who killed Lisa Nichols of Mobile County in 2004 and tried to burn her body.

"When the family couldn't get justice from the district attorney's office, we stepped in," King said, a jab at Tyson.

The Jones case remains a sore point with Tyson. The victim's family wrote King asking that state prosecutors take over the case, citing delays in bringing Jones to justice.

King also reminded the county officials of tough new laws approved during his tenure that target sex offenders and meth dealers.

"You hold accountable those who hurt the people of this state," King said.

And he said it's not enough just to prosecute. He said he has pursued convicted criminals through their appeals and bids for parole.
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I am unable to decide which candidate for Alabama Attorney General I find more vile and disgusting or whether I would rather have a theraputic/nanny state as Mr. Tyson proposes or the continuation of a police state as is the custom of his majesty Mr. King.

Truth be told THEY BOTH SUCK!!!

John Tyson:
"While King has a "get-tough-on-crime" platform, Tyson promotes a plan for keeping criminals out of prison: Tackle their bad behavior early, such as targeting poor school attendance, and assign a "multidisciplinary team" to steer them away from crime.

That type of intervention is being used in Mobile County. When a teacher notices behavior that could lead to criminal offenses, for example, the DA's office writes a letter to the child's parents."


The DA's office writes a letter to the childs parents? Why is the DA involved in the actions of school children? Don't they have enough REAL CRIME in Mobile? Reading the papers one would think that truancy and playground squabbles would be at the very bottom of the list. I guess all public school children are being viewed as pre-criminal now.

Troy King: King, however, said it's not the attorney general's job to be a "social engineer," who uses the streets as a "social laboratory."

I agree with King on that but I have to point out that the drug war is social engineering that uses the streets as a social laboratory so all I can really say to King is PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH HYPOCRITE!!!!

I am going to go vomit now. Looks like I won't be casting a vote for AG on Nov. 7.
Regardless of who we get what we get will not be justice. The lesser of two evils (if one could actually make such a decision between these two choices) means the only thing you will get for certain is EVIL!

A Circular Firing Squad

Hats off to Don Seibold at Dr. IQ who gave us the most accurate description of what yesterday's sub-committee decision on Patricia Todd and Gaynell Hendricks amounted to...hence the title of this post.

Kathy over at Birmingham Blues has some extensive coverage and a list of actions to take should you be so inclined.

Couple charged under Ala.'s new chemical endangerment law

Couple charged under Ala.'s new chemical endangerment law

ASHVILLE, Ala. (AP) -- A St. Clair County couple indicted in the death of their infant daughter are believed to be the first individuals in Alabama charged under a new law aimed at people cooking methamphetamine around children.

District Attorney Richard Minor said William Neighbors, 25, and Melissa Little, 24, both of Odenville, were charged with chemical endangerment of a child.

"To my knowledge, they are the first people in the state who have been indicted under this new law," Minor said late Wednesday.

He said the couple's 15-month-old daughter, Melissa Neighbors, died after ingesting or inhaling methadone at their home.

Methadone is a controlled substance normally used to treat drug addicts. Alabama's new law allows a person to be charged with chemical endangerment of a child when someone recklessly causes or permits a child to be exposed to, ingest or inhale, or to have contact with a controlled substance that results in the death of the child, Minor said.

The prosecutor said the new law went into effect June 1 and the child died June 5.

He said Neighbors was arrested late Tuesday, and Little was arrested Wednesday morning. Chemical endangerment carries a penalty of 10 years to life in prison.

The Legislature passed the law because of the large number of methamphetamine labs found inside homes where children lived.

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There are so many things wrong with this law and this case.

1. Was the methadone legal and perhaps prescribed by a physician treating addiction in the parents?

2. Since it wasn't methamphetamine why are they being charged under a law created for meth cookers?

3. Why is this law only for illicit substances? If I had a small child and accidentally left some aspirin within reach and they ate them all and died they would be just as dead as if they had ingested an illicit substance and it would be just as miserable a situation.

4. This is a retarded law because people hooked on methamphetamine to the point where they are cooking their own obviously aren't thinking about arrest, jail or prison anyway. If they were they would not be engaged in that activity.


Heres the thing...most people are unaware that methamphetamine can be aquired by prescription. It isn't an illegal drug but rather illegally manufactured. The prescription version is called Desoxyn and is prescribed for people with severe ADHD, obesity or depression. It is a schedule 2...meaning it has some recognized medical value and is therefore easier to obtain than marijuana. Imagine that!!

Prescription users do not exhibit the same devastating health effects that users of the street version do, although I'll readily admit that any type of stimulant can make you psychotic over a long period of time. My solution to this "epidemic" would be to encourage the opening of meth clinics and get addicts on a clean version of the drug (Desoxyn) and then offer treatment/counseling. That would pretty much do away with labs in peoples homes and in the trunks of their cars which put so many other people at risk. This problem has a simple solution...but as usual anything simple and based on common sense is an automatic disqualifier in the political arena.


Morning-after pill to be available without prescription

From CNN

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Women can buy the morning-after pill without a prescription, the government declared Thursday, a major step that nevertheless failed to quell the politically charged debate over access to emergency contraception.


The manufacturer, lawmakers and other advocates said they will press the government to allow minors to purchase the pills over the counter.

The Food and Drug Administration said that women 18 and older -- and men purchasing for their partners -- may buy the Plan B pills without a doctor's note, but only from pharmacies.

Girls 17 and younger still will need a prescription to buy the pills, the FDA told manufacturer Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., in ruling on an application filed in 2003.

The compromise decision is a partial victory for women's advocacy and medical groups, which say easier access could halve the nation's 3 million annual unplanned pregnancies.

Plan B contains a concentrated dose of the same drug found in many regular birth-control pills. Planned Parenthood estimates 41 other countries already allow women to buy emergency contraception without a prescription.

If a woman takes Plan B within 72 hours of unprotected sex, she can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent. Plan B is different from the abortion pill: If a woman already is pregnant, Plan B has no effect.

Last night Giles was on For the Record providing commentary about this decision. I am still not sure what qualifies him to have any commentary on women's medical issues as he is neither a woman nor a gynecologist, yet he is always on camera running that pie-hole. He is such a class A shithead. "We haven't done enough studies about the long term effects of what such a large does of hormones can do to young women" he said. Well I can tell you that a large dose of hormones to KEEP SOMEONE FROM GETTING PREGNANT will be far less complicated than 1. An abortion or 2. Becoming a young un-wed mother. Additionally, for years women have taken a large dose of birth control pills in order to delay their period with no ill effects.

When did Mr. Giles ever care for scientific studies about anything in the past? This pill is pregnancy prevention, which one would think Johnny boy would be happy about since it will reduce the numbers of abortions in the state....but his comments prove that this is really about controlling the decisions that women make.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Democratic Party Committee Disqualifies Todd & Hendricks

By BOB JOHNSON
Associated Press Writer

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- A Democratic Party committee Thursday night disqualified an openly gay candidate for the Alabama Legislature and the woman she defeated in the primary runoff because both women violated a party rule that party officials said no other candidate has obeyed since 1988.

The committee voted 5-0 to disqualify Patricia Todd, who was attempting to become the state's first openly gay legislator, and Gaynell Hendricks.

Committee chairwoman Amy Burks said earlier Thursday the party's executive committee would make the final decision and select a nominee for the seat from Birmingham's House District 54 at a meeting in Montgomery Saturday.

MORE......

Loretta Nall & Dick Clark on WAUD 1230 am Talk Radio

Lane Powell, host of WAUD AM 1230's Inside Auburn Politics aired what he described as a "Libertarianalooza" on WAUD today when he interviewed Alabama gubernatorial candidate Loretta Nall and AL House 79 candidate Dick Clark today from 12:20pm till 1:00pm.

In this interview, Powell asked questions about William McLaurine's efforts in the Auburn mayoral race, third party ballot access, and the two-party system in general. You can listen to the interview HERE.

Judge: Ex-felons can vote

By Bob Johnson
The Associated Press
From The Montgomery Advertiser

A Jefferson County judge ordered Wednesday the state of Alabama to allow ex-felons to vote, saying a state law that denies voting rights to felons convicted of crimes of moral turpitude does not identify which crimes fit that definition.

Circuit Court Judge Robert Vance Jr. stayed portions of his order until it could be cleared by the U.S. Justice Department. The federal Voting Rights Act requires that changes in voting law in Alabama be cleared through the Justice Department.

Vance ordered voter registrars in Alabama counties to register ex-felons until "the Alabama Legislature passes, and the governor signs into law, legislation specifically identifying which felonies involve moral turpitude."

The judge's ruling came in a lawsuit filed in Jefferson County by Richard Gooden, who lost his right to vote in 2000 when he was convicted of felony driving under the influence. When Gooden tried to have his voting rights restored he was told that the Alabama secretary of state's office had ordered no felons be registered until the Attorney General Troy King issued an opinion on what crimes do not involve moral turpitude.

Gooden filed his lawsuit through the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in New York and was represented in Jefferson County by Birmingham attorney Ed Still.

"The judge issued a great order that's going to have beneficial impact on a lot of people in Alabama," Still said.

New York attorney Ryan Paul Haygood of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, said the court's ruling "recognizes that the right to vote for which so many fought and died can not turn upon the subjective whim of state and local officials."

In his 50-page ruling, Vance said only the Legislature, not the Secretary of State or other state officials, has the right to decide what crimes involve moral turpitude.

Secretary of State Nancy Worley said she is asking the attorney general's office for an opinion on how to interpret the ruling. She said her office has received a conflicting ruling from a federal court judge to use a voter registration form that asks applicants if they have been convicted of a disqualifying felony.

"I think the judge has appropriately remanded this back to the Legislature to determine what is moral turpitude and what is not moral turpitude," Worley said.

Officials at the attorney general's office were reviewing the ruling Wednesday and did not have any immediate comment, spokesman Chris Bence said.

The Alabama Legislature in 1996 passed a law that allowed ex-felons the right to vote if they were convicted of crimes that did not involve moral turpitude.

In 2003, the Legislature passed a bill by Rep. Yvonne Kennedy, D-Mobile, that sets up a process through the state Board of Pardons and Parole to restore the rights to ex-felons convicted of crimes involving moral turpitude. But Still said the problem was that when Gooden and others went to the board to have their rights restored they were told they did not have to go through the process because they had not been convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude.

But Still said when they went to their local registrars office they were still told they could not register.

State Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, introduced a bill last year that would have automatically restored voting rights to convicted felons upon their release from prison, but it did not pass. Singleton praised Vance's ruling and said he plans to reintroduce his bill next year.

"This is a wonderful victory for people who have been disenfranchised because of the definition of moral turpitude," Singleton said.

Not everyone in the Legislature was happy with the ruling.

"That's absolutely insane and flies in the face of the bill that we passed," said Rep. Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, the Republican leader in the House. Hubbard said he thinks registrars should not be able to register any ex-felons until the issue concerning the definition of moral turpitude is resolved.

He said if the decision is not overturned on appeal, "I can guarantee you this will be an issue on part of Republicans to get this straightened out next session."
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Mike Hubbard is a VILE man. He better hope he gets his way because if he doesn't that means there will be THOUSANDS of citizens who can vote against him in this election. I am putting my money on Dick Clark to take Hubbard out in this election.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Alabama State Court Boosts Voting Rights for Felons and Ex-Felons

Ballot Access News

August 23rd, 2006 ballot access news

On August 23, a state court in Alabama ruled that the state's laws
preventing felons and ex-felons from registering to vote cannot be
enforced, until the state legislature passes a law explaining the term
"moral turpitude". The State Constitution does not permit those
convicted of a crime of "moral turpitude" to register. The Court ruled
that the phrase is far too vague, and violates due process, unless or
until the legislature passes a law defining which felonies are
included in that term. Gooden v Worley, 2005-5778, Jefferson Co.
Circuit Court.
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This is FABULOUS NEWS!!!

The Bob Kincaid Show

I was interviewed on the Bob Kincaid show last night for about 30 minutes regarding my campaign. In case you missed it you can listen HERE .

If you want to listen to my part of the show only you may do so HERE .

It was a great segment and I gotta give props to Bob Kincaid, who is a native Alabamian, for conducting such a great interview.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Nall on Head On Radio at 6:10 PM

At 6:10 pm this evening I will be a guest on Head On Radio Network with host Bob Kincaid. This show will stream live.

Please tune in if you are able.

Satan Attacks Birmingham



(Click the title up top and listen while you read)

Atlanta Journal Constitution

Annetta Nunn's office could belong to a preacher. A photo of the Rev. Maritin Luther King Jr. greets visitors, mocha-colored angel figurines fill a bookcase. The baseball cap behind her desk says "God Answers Prayers

But Nunn isn't a minister — she's the police chief. And she wonders if the fact that she is an outspoken Christian has something to do with the surging murder rate in Alabama's biggest city, where homicides are up more than 25 percent over last year.

Birmingham Police Chief Annetta Nunn wonders if her openness about her devout faith has emboldened the devil.

Nunn says one thing is certain to happen anytime Christians speak boldly: "Satan is going to attack." So Nunn can't help but wonder if her own actions — singing hymns at the funerals of three slain officers, making speeches and writing articles mentioning God — somehow have made the devil meaner than usual in Birmingham.
------------------------------

I can't believe they let this woman walk around with a loaded firearm.

I think Chief Nunn actually thinks she is a nun. Isn't it amazing that public official's in this day and age can claim "work of Satan" as an excuse for their own poor job performance and be taken seriously? Oh wait...this is ALABAMA.

I wonder if it works both ways then. If someone is arrested for committing a crime and they claim "The devil made me do it" do they get a free pass? I think not, even though a reasonable argument could be made that since Chief Nunn claimed the devil was responsible then a criminal would simply be validating her claim.

Can you imagine that conversation?

Criminal: "I ain't did nothin' Chief Nunn it was the devil smoked that joint."

Chief Nunn: "TESTIFY!! 'Kalluuuumkalalabaya' 'Hallelujah' I had heard ole' Splitfoot was about 'Praise God'...On your knees then...we gone pray him outta the HAM.'


Scary, ain't it? Almost as scary as the Birmingham homicide rate.

Maybe if Annetta Nunn stopped praying and started working the homicide rate would drop in Jefferson County. If she can't get off her knees and fight crime on her feet then maybe she should become the police chaplain or turn in her badge and head off to Jesus school.

Monday, August 21, 2006

For the Record Women's Rights

Last Thursday the Montgomery, AL chapter of NOW held a press conference on the steps of the RSA building to protest reich-wing groups meeting in secret with Public Health Officials to push for the closing of Women's clinics. I was there and so was a crew from my favorite show For the Record .
The video is available HERE. I don't do any of the speaking, but can be seen proudly holding my sign.

This Weeks Media Appearances

On Tuesday, August 22 6:10 pm I will be a guest on Head On Radio Network with host Bob Kincaid.

Mr Kincaid is I'm a native Alabamian now living in West Virginia. During the show we will discuss my candidacy and my overall vision for bringing true liberalism back to life in the Deep South, a topic that's very near to the good folks at the Head-On Radio Network. One of their primary missions is to offer a forum where southern liberals can be heard.
The interview will stream from HERE

On Thursday, August 24, I will be doing an interview with WAUD 1230 AM out of Auburn, AL beginning at 12:20 p.m. I believe we will be taking live calls at the end of the show. This station does not appear to have an online presence. If someone finds one please let me know. If you are out of the listening area I will do my level best to get a copy of the show before I leave and get it online.

If you can make a contribution toward the cost of fuel that would be most helpful and very much appreciated.

Saturday, August 19, 2006

For the Record Week in Review

I don't know how many of my fellow Alabamians and campaign supporters watch this show on a regular basis....if you aren't a watcher then I highly recommend that you check it out sometime. It airs on Alabama Public Television M-F at 6:30 PM and 11 PM. Friday's are almost always the best because the Week in Review features three journalists and/or media personalities discussing the weeks major news stories.

In case you missed here is this week's episode of For the Record Week in Review . Friday's weekly recap was excellent....even more entertaining than usual. This show featured Ken Hare from The Montgomery Advertiser, Scott Stantis, the editorial cartoonist from The Birmingham News ,Butler Cain from WUAL-FM in Tuscaloosa and the host Tim Lennox.

It is the kind of in-depth coverage that you cannot get watching major network news. It's actual discussion and opinions as opposed to some talking head just reading a teleprompter. Oh, if only all news could be this good.

Drugs & Money Missing from Tuskegee Police Dept. Safe

WSFA Channel 12

Allegations Of Theft At Tuskegee Police Department

From the outside, it looked like a routine day for the police force in Tuskegee. Inside, however, it's anything but routine.

"That's the purpose of the investigation," said City Manager Alfred Davis.

Davis confirms investigators with the Alabama Bureau of Investigation are sniffing around the police department, looking to see whether someone stole drugs and money, evidence taken from recent drug raids. It's front-page news in Tuskegee and a top priority for the city administration.

"We were aware there were some issues and we moved quickly to make sure we investigated," said Davis.

This part of the story Davis won't confirm; sources close to the case tell 12 News $26,000 is missing from a safe that typically holds evidence from drug raids. Drugs were also reportedly stolen. At this point WSFA 12 News has learned the alleged theft has jeopardize at least 4 drug cases that haven't been resolved.

Publicly no one is saying who is the target of ABI's investigation. So far, no one's been charged and city officials won't speculate.

"Not puttin' the blame on anybody until the investigation is concluded," Davis said.

ABI has indicated it needs about another month to wrap up its case. The police chief did not return our message and the District Attorney isn't commenting.

In another update from WSFA Channel 12

The Tuskegee police department makes changes after money turns up missing from a department safe.

WSFA 12 News first reported the Alabama Bureau of Investigation was looking into the matter. Now, they have implemented new procedures and policies. The interim chief of police says it is focused on a particular section and not the department as a whole.

Authorities say the A.B.I. is still investigating, and some Tuskegee police have been reassigned.

Now, this story is of particular interest to me because of what happened at a candidates forum on May 21. Tuskegee Sheriff & Police Chief "Nall Right on Drug Policy"

The second report from WSFA reported about an 'interem police chief'...does that mean Leon Frazier is gone? If so, would that be because he is believed to be directly involved in the disappearance of the money and drugs from the police safe or, is it common protocol for a chief to be reassigned while his dept. is being investigated?

After Fraziers statements at that forum I am very curious about these developments. I can't help but hope that he is directly involved so people in Tuskegee will remember what I said, what he said and begin to take action with regard to drug policy reform. I hope it was Frazier....he was such a prick....but it was a beautiful moment when he was asked "How exactly will you eradicate all drugs from Macon County?" and he admitted he was lying, sat his ass down and did not utter another squeak.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Friday Muscadine Blogging



MMMMMMM....these are sooooo good. Don Siebold, known to most of you as Dr. IQ of I&R fame, sent out an email this week saying he had free muscadines and scuppernongs for anyone who wanted to stop by and pick them. I was in Montgomery yesterday and stopped in for a visit with Don and to take him up on his offer

What a wonderful guy!! We picked a half of a five gallon bucket full and then retired to the house for some iced tea and conversation. It was a good afternoon.
These muscadines and scuppernongs are sublime and even though I know they will end in a case of the trots...I just can't stop eating them. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Baxley Touts "Preschool to Prison Pipeline Program"

From AL.com

At the first of a series of press conferences across the state, Baxley outlined nine priorities she would focus on as governor, such as creating a Cabinet-level office of inspector general to root out waste and make sure taxpayers get efficient services for their money.

Other priorities include: banning transfers of money between political action committees; making it a felony for an employer to continue hiring illegal immigrants; creating a database of problem students to let school officials know when one transfers to a new school; and investigating price-gouging at the gas pump.

We already have a system that alerts school administrators to students with discipline problems. It's called SCHOOL RECORDS and they transfer with the student between schools. Why does the government need a database of our kids? The schools already have that information.

This should be called the "Preschool to Prison Pipeline Program." We all know it will be used by law enforcement and government agencies somewhere down the line for nefarious reasons. I can see it being used for forcibly drugging public school children under the “New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.” Or, perhaps by police when they stop a car during a routine license check; "Let's see...says here in the "rebellious kids database" that Jr. is something of an 'outcast' at school and that is probable cause to search and harass an arrest when he stands up for his Fourth Amendment right."

When an opponent declares, "I will not come over to your side," I calmly say, "Your child belongs to us already. . . . What are you? You will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community."

Adolf Hitler Source: 1933, quoted in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, "Education in the Third Reich"


Leave my children alone.



Alabamastan Talibanicrats form New Coalition


From the Montgomery Advertiser.

Democratic leaders revealed a "Covenant for the Future" on Tuesday with issues they plan to introduce during the 2007 legislative session. Speaker of the House, Seth Hammett said "Democratic lawmakers are standing together in a united effort to move our state forward. This covenant is our promise to the people for a better tomorrow."

In addition to banning transfers between political action committees, the covenant also includes calls for eliminating sales tax on groceries, passing an amendment saying life begins at conception, requiring public schools to offer Bible literacy curriculum, passage of the Alabama Border Protection Act and creation of a scholarship program for medical students.

So the obvious questions here.

1. How will passing an amendment saying life begins at conception make Alabama a better place or move our state forward?

It won't. What it will do is make it more difficult for Alabama women to exercise their fundamental human right to choose and result in the deaths of women who find themselves in a bad situation. How exactly is that pro-life? Hell, sounds to me as if the Democrats would like us all to return to the time where men still drug women around by the hair of the head.

2. How will requiring public schools to offer a bible literacy course make Alabama better?

It won't. It will simply be an easy way for fundamentalist whackos to force their warped interpretation of the Christian religion on all Alabama public school children. And people wonder why I hate the public school system. They can teach the bible at home and in church all they want and I will never complain...but school is for learning science, mathmatics, reading
(which by the way 33% of Alabamians are illiterate...you'd think they'd want to teach kids how to read first...but then if they can read then they might be able to see through all the indiscrepencies...so better to keep them stupid. Isn't that what the Catholic Church did hundreds of years ago?)

3. How will a border protection act move Alabama forward and make it a better place?

It won't. Alabama doesn't have a border with a foreign country. Maybe we should pass a bill that says our lawmakers have to pass a geography course before they can serve.

This bill won't do anything to curb illegal immigration. Just like deporting undocumented workers back to Mexico won't work, Jeff Session's fence won't work, and imprisoning undocumented workers won't work. What will work is a federal bill raising the number of unskilled workers eligible to immigrate from the ridiculiously low number of 5000 and pressuring Mexico to fix whatever problems they have that cause so many of their citizens to want to immigrate here.

And don't quibble at me about undocumented workers not paying taxes. They do pay FICA taxes in most cases to the tune of $500 to $600 billion dollars that they will never have the benefit of using. That likely offsets any cost to the public welfare and healthcare systems.

4. Although it isn't mentioned in the online version of this story they also oppose equal rights for the GLBT community.

This is nothing but taxation without representation and legalized discrimination. People who support this do not support the U.S. Constitution. They truly want to make this Alabamastan.

It is glaringly apparent that I am the only candidate in this race who believes all citizens should have equal rights, that a woman's right to choose is sacred and does not belong in the political arena, that children should be taught to read, write, do math, understand science and be given the tools they need to succeed in life in PUBLIC school, that religion is a private family matter and should forever remain so, and that Alabama has no border and cannot afford to waste our already thin National Guard resources placing troops on a peaceful border.

Don't get me wrong...I am not unhappy that the Democratic Party has finally admitted to being Republicans in disguise....it goes a long way towards validating my claim that there is absolutely NO DIFFERENCE between the two parties. I might even send them a fruit basket and a thank you card. This should make getting elected much easier for me. It should also make the Riley campaign rethink those attack ads calling Lucy Baxley a liberal....as that is obviously not the case.

Remember,if you value your constitutional rights and civil liberties and you want a Governor that does as well, write in Loretta Nall on November 7, 2006.

Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense


Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Nall to Giles; 'Divert Mississippi Casino Money to Alabama Womens Clinics'

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Loretta Nall for Governor Campaign
2330 Highland Ave. S
Birmingham, AL 35205
205-328-8683
256-625-9599
cnall1@charter.net
http://www.nallforgovernor.com

Gubernatorial Candidate Calls for Christian Coalition to Divert Mississippi Casino Money to Alabama Women’s Health Clinics for Remodeling

Alexander City AL – August 15, 2006 – Loretta Nall, who is running a write-in campaign for Governor, has called on John Giles and the Alabama Christian Coalition to divert gambling money from Mississippi casinos to remodel Alabama Women’s Clinics after Giles remarked that the clinics aren’t decorated very nicely.

A statement released on Nall’s website states, “Why John Giles expects us to believe that patients talk to him afterward about the interiors of the clinics is a little mind-boggling. I am sure if the clinics were decorated like the Royal Palace Mr. Giles would still say that it was about the money therefore, I extend the following invitation; Hey John, how about diverting some Mississippi casino money to the Womens clinics in Alabama so they can be pretty? We hear you are a master at that sort of thing.”

Nall is an advocate for womens rights and has volunteered as a patient escort at the clinic over the last few months. An article about her experience Womens Rights & Jericho Horns can be found on her campaign website.

For more information please contact the Nall for Governor Campaign at 251-650-2271 or 256-625-9599.

This information provided by the Nall for Governor Campaign.



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Technical Violation Closes Women's Health Clinic in Montgomery

According to the Montgomery Advertiser the state health department Tuesday suspended the license of a Montgomery abortion facility, according to a press release from U.S. Newswire.

The license for Reproductive Health Services of Montgomery was suspended because of its failure to have "a physician with admitting privileges at a local acute care hospital, or a contractual arrangement with a physician who has such admitting privileges."

An official with Reproductive Health Services said she is working on a response to the news.

Christian Coalition of Alabama President John Giles, a pro-life leader, responded to the news: "The action taken today confirms that the abortion industry is only interested in profits and not the healthcare of women before or after an abortion,” he said in a press release. “In fact, women leave abortion facilities all over this state and report the buildings look as if they are furnished from a second hand store and resemble a third world medical facility."

Giles, along with several pro-life leaders, recently met with Alabama Department of Public Health officials to discuss abortion clinic regulations, inspections and enforcement. Giles further said he is confident that the state has made the upgrading of regulations, inspections and enforcement of standards a priority.

In another story from The Advertiser it gives the following details

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) -- An abortion clinic has been banned from conducting abortions and the center's license has been suspended because it did not have a backup physician as required by the state, health officials announced Tuesday.

The Alabama Department of Public Health issued an emergency suspension order against Reproductive Health Services on Monday, saying it failed to have its regular doctor backed up by a physician with admitting privileges at a local hospital. The department said that "constitutes a danger to public health and welfare."


Why John Giles expects us to believe that patients talk to him afterward about the interiors of the clinics is a little mind-boggling. Mr. Giles, could you please present us with a patient or two willing to say that publicly? How can it be about the money if the decoration is lacking? I am sure if the clinics were decorated like a Royal Palace Mr. Giles would still say that it was about the money. Hey John, how about diverting some Mississippi casino money to the Womens clinics in Alabama so they can be pretty? We hear you are pretty good at that sort of thing.

All of this seems to me to be a technical violation. If it was a requirement that a back up physician be on call before a license was issued then there must have been one at some time and perhaps the contract has just lapsed and it slipped by the office staff. That seems the most logical explanation. I am fairly certain that any woman experiencing complications after a procedure would not be denied medical care at a hospital emergency room despite there not being a specific physician standing by. That just wouldn't happen. I predict the clinic will be open again soon.

I am very curious about the Health Dept.'s finding that not having a standby physician "constitutes a danger to public health and welfare."

How so? I wouldn't even agree that it constitutes any danger to a woman having complications, as no hospital would refuse to treat her if she sought treatment, so how could not having a doctor on standby constitute a danger to the entire public health and welfare? Sounds like the Christian Coalition has someone working inside the Alabama Department of Public Health.

Rep. Alvin Holmes to Christian Coalition's John Giles "Go to Hell"



I LOVE Alvin Holmes.

From the The Birmingham News

KIM CHANDLER
News staff writer
MONTGOMERY - The Christian Coalition of Alabama claims allegiance with heaven, but a Montgomery lawmaker on Monday told the group's leader to go some place warm and fiery.

Rep. Alvin Holmes, D-Montgomery, responding to the group's annual political questionnaire, asked the Coalition President John Giles to first answer questions about casino-interest money the group received and other matters.

"Until you answer these three questions, Go straight to hell," Holmes wrote.

Gotta give it up to Alvin. I may not agree with every single thing he does but I always appreciate it when public officials say just exactly what is on their minds...and Alvin is a champeen mind speaker.

Go Alvin Holmes Go!!!

West Ala. judge arrested on drug charges in Mississippi.

Montgomery Advertiser



COLUMBUS, Miss. (AP) -- A Pickens County judge is facing drug charges in neighboring Mississippi. Authorities say District Judge Ira Colvin of Carrollton was arrested yesterday (Monday) for allegedly possessing methampethamine in Lowndes County, Mississippi. He is scheduled to appear before a judge today and remains in jail.

No other information was available about the arrest and authorities say additional charges could be filed.

The 58-year-old Colvin was appointed to the judgeship in December 2002.
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Judge Colvin was incited for bankruptcy fraud in 2004 and it appears his wife has been previously arrested on meth charges. I am looking to see what role Judge Colvin has played in drug task forces in his county and what his sentencing record for non-violent drug offenses looks like.

Help Send Loretta Nall to Bolivia



Dear Friends and Supporters,

An exciting opportunity for me to once again travel to South America and study the effects of U.S. Foreign Drug Policy has arisen and I need your help to make it happen. As some of you may remember in 2004 I traveled to Colombia, South America to study the effects of aerial fumigation of peasant subsistence farmers being carried out under U.S. Plan Colombia . It was that experience that taught me why Americans are hated the world over and why people of other nations plot our destruction. That trip was a life changing experience. Please read the 'Colombia, South America' link above for a detailed recounting of that journey.

Now Witness for Peace has organized a trip to Bolivia and I would very much like to be a delegate. The information on cost is below.

Please join us in an exciting and ground breaking Witness for Peace delegation to Bolivia! This is an extremely important time for Bolivians. For nearly half a millennium, Bolivia has been colonized and its resources exploited without benefit to the country's majority indigenous population. An indigenous president has been elected and a new social order is emerging in South America's poorest nation.

Come, see for yourself the rebirth of this nation and the evolution of a society. There will be a special focus on indigenous rights, natural gas and drug policies.


Highlights:


Meet with Bolivians representing many different views on the political spectrum.
Gain insight into the political, economic and social situation in Bolivia.
Learn about grassroots resistance to corporate driven globalization and externally imposed economic models.
Understand US policies toward Bolivia and the impact of those policies on the Bolivian people.
Learn new ways to improve your advocacy skills and expand your activist toolbox.

Cost:
The price of the 8-day delegation is $1,230. The delegation fee covers all set-up, preparation, meals, lodging, interpreters, and transportation within Bolivia. The fee also covers extensive reading and activist tools both before and after the delegation. International airfare, airport departure taxes, tips, and personal expenses are not included.


Deadline:
Application and a non-refundable deposit of $150 two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied to applications received after September 9.

Witness for Peace is a politically independent, grassroots organization committed to nonviolence. Our mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing US policies and corporate practices which contribute to poverty and oppression.

For more information or an application, please contact:

Joanne Ranney 802-434-2980
Michael Joseph, 917-371-3301
Sanho Tree, 202-494-8004

If you would like to help me make this trip please make a contribution that will be used to help me cover the cost.

You may also mail a contribution to:

Loretta Nall
4633 Pearson Chapel Rd
Alexander City, AL 35010

Thank you all for your friendship and your continued support of my career in Drug Policy an Prison Reform.

Loretta Nall
Libertarian Party Candidate for Governor of Alabama
Vote Nall Y'all...It's Just Common Sense

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Somebody's Lying!

Recently, a news story surfaced that claims "Smoking marijuana can cause early pregnancy failure by affect­ing an internal signaling system that helps embryos pass safely from the ovary to the uterus, ac­cording to a recent study of mice that could have important impli­cations for infertility in women."

However, the ONDCP released THIS AD about two years ago which claims that smoking pot makes it more likely that your teen daughter will get pregnant.
A statement on the ONDCP website reads

"Teens who are high on marijuana are less able to make safe, smart decisions about sex - including saying no," said Sarah Brown, Director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. "Teens who have used marijuana are four times more likely to get pregnant or get someone pregnant than teens who haven't."

This is a real scary 'scientific study'.

Embryo's DO NOT come out of the ovary. Unfertilized eggs come out of the ovaries, travel down the fallopian tubes into the uterus and wait to see if it/they will be fertilized. It is not an embryo until it is fertilized and if it gets fertilized in the fallopian tube that is called an eptopic preganacy which can be deadly.

I recently heard Bush say that all women should consider themselves pre-pregnant, and I am more than familiar with anit-choice argument that life begins at conception....but I've never heard the argument that unfertilized eggs should be considered pre-embryo. That's going a little far.

So, which is it? I can bear witness that neither are true, I have tons of personal experience after all. If it were true that marijuana made it easier to get pregnant I'd have 30 kids by now. If, on the other hand, it were true that marijuana made it hard to get pregnant I wouldn't be the proud mother of two brilliant children. So, somebody's lying.

I Hate FOX News

I know that probably isn't a mind-blowing revelation for any of you but just wanted to get it out up front before I talk about the Birmingham Peace Project's press conference, anti-war rally and peace vigil held yesterday in Birmingham.

First, a little background on what brought this event about.

Recently,Gov. Bob Riley, who visited Iraq in March, said,
"I've never talked to a person in the military yet who didn't say we ought to stay and we ought to win the war."


Apparently, he had not searched very hard for a soldier or veteran opposed to the war and Birmingham Peace Project decided to help him out. According to the peace group's press release, the,
"Birmingham Peace Project is unable to remain silent before this blatantly ill-informed assertion."

The group invited Gov. Riley, to meet Iraq veteran and creator of the one-man show "The Eyes of Babylon," former U.S. Marine Jeff Key, along with former Navy recruiter Susan Mims, Veteran for Peace leader David Waters and others who will afford him the opportunity to meet military personnel who, for many reasons, condemn the Iraq War. They also extended an invitation to democratic nominee Lt. Governor Baxley and Libertarian Party nominee Loretta Nall (me) to attend.

As you can just about guess I was the only candidate with the courage to show up. I knew when I got there and saw that the only news station covering it was FOX 6 that any coverage gained would be terrible. And it was.


Photo courtesy of Glynn Wilson Locust Fork News

The conference started and the guests were introduced. One by one they stepped in front of the camera and gave their statements. I had asked upon receiveing the invitation if I should be prepared to speak and was told to prepare something short and if time permitted yes. The organizer approached me during the conference and asked me if I would like to say anything. I told her that I would if there was time and she told me to get ready. However, the next person called was the keynote speaker Mr. Key, and the last one on the list. The main person who had gotten the invitation extened to me walked over and asked why I wasn't speaking and I told her I didn't know. After Mr. Key was finished they began to wrap up the conference and someone in the audience spoke up and said,
"There is a gubernatorial candidate here and I'd really like to hear what she has to say, because she at least had the decency to show up."


What an odd situation. To be asked to attend a press conference that was both anti-war and pro-gay rights. To be the only candidate with the courage to show up and not because I wanted to speak necessairily, but because I am opposed to the US occupation of Iraq and because I believe in EQUAL RIGHTS for all US citizens and I do not mind being PUBLIC about it. To be asked to speak and then to be skipped over as if I weren't standing there.

I wondered if it was an honest oversight. It also crossed my mind that maybe this was divine providence affording me the opportunity to escape any coverage by FOX 6 . But, I ain't afraid of FOX, although more times than not I skip them when sending out a news release. I would simply prefer that they not cover me at all. Being the sport that I am I shrugged it all off and stepped in front of the camera. .

"I am Loretta Nall, the Libertarian party candidate for Governor. As a Libertarian I believe that only defense is legitimate and since the Iraq war is not a defensive war it is both illegal and immoral. If elected Governor of Alabama I will immediately call for the withdrawal of Alabama National Guard troops and I will be a vocal advocate for the immediate withdrawal of all US troops from Iraq. You should be wary of candidates who support the war or fail to call for immediate withdrawal of our troops. Remember that they do not have children fighting there."

This was greeted with enthusiastic applause.

After the press conference was over we all moved to the fountain at Five Points South to hold a vigil.


I had not come dressed to stand in the blistering Alabama heat for any extended period of time and I only lasted about 45 minutes. My host for the evening approached one of the organizers to say goodbye and he said, "Oh I see, you only came for the photo op."

I turned and began walking to the car before I gave Fox News some really juicy coverage of a gubernatorial candidate and an anti-war protester engaged in a knock-down, drag-out, brawl in front of the fountain at Five Points South. If this is how the anti-war protesters treat the political candidates that do support them then no wonder they are having little success in finding support.

When the FOX 6 nine o'clock news came on they did not mention the press conference or the vigil. They did not mention it until the middle of the ten o'clock broadcast which means I had to sit through an hour and a half of their manure before getting to see a 30 second piece which did not mention the news conference, provied no footage of the speakers nor any background on the event. What it showed was a bunch of hippes in front of the fountain at Five Points with hand-lettered signs while stating "There was an anti-war protest today in Five Points. All of the gubernatorial candidates were invited to attend." End.

My host for the evening was so angry she placed a call to the weekend editor and said, "I am a dye-hard Democrat and we did have a candidate show up today but she was Libertarian. Why didn't you mention that she showed? Your camera crew has lots of footage of her and others at the press conference. Why was none of it used? Why didn't you mention the reasons for the press conference? Why did you only show hippies in front of a fountain?" She had some other choice words as well.

The day wasn't a total loss. I did get to meet Glynn Wilson of Locust Fork News another Alabama blogger and political junkie. However I missed meeting my hero of the evening news Tim Lennox by a hair. He walked right by me and my attention was elsewhere. By the time someone pointed out to me that he was in attendance he was already walking away. I figured since the press conference had not yet started that he would be back. So, instead of being a redneck and hollering "Hey Tim" from a block away I decided to wait. He didn't come back, which is a shame because I really wanted to meet him. However, he didn't miss much.

Dr. Mengele Panel Suggests Using Inmates in Drug Trials

From the New York Times

By IAN URBINAPHILADELPHIA, Aug. 7 — An influential federal panel of medical advisers has recommended that the government loosen regulations that severely limit the testing of pharmaceuticals on prison inmates, a practice that was all but stopped three decades ago after revelations of abuse.

The proposed change includes provisions intended to prevent problems that plagued earlier programs. Nevertheless, it has dredged up a painful history of medical mistreatment and incited debate among prison rights advocates and researchers about whether prisoners can truly make uncoerced decisions, given the environment they live in.

Supporters of such programs cite the possibility of benefit to prison populations, and the potential for contributing to the greater good.
Until the early 1970’s, about 90 percent of all pharmaceutical products were tested on prison inmates, federal officials say. But such research diminished sharply in 1974 after revelations of abuse at prisons like Holmesburg here, where inmates were paid hundreds of dollars a month to test items as varied as dandruff treatments and dioxin, and where they were exposed to radioactive, hallucinogenic and carcinogenic chemicals.

In addition to addressing the abuses at Holmesburg, the regulations were a reaction to revelations in 1972 surrounding what the government called the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, which was begun in the 1930’s and lasted 40 years. In it, several hundred mostly illiterate men with syphilis in rural Alabama were left untreated, even after a cure was discovered, so that researchers could study the disease.

“What happened at Holmesburg was just as gruesome as Tuskegee, but at Holmesburg it happened smack dab in the middle of a major city, not in some backwoods in Alabama,” said Allen M. Hornblum, an urban studies professor at Temple University and the author of “Acres of Skin,” a 1998 book about the Holmesburg research. “It just goes to show how prisons are truly distinct institutions where the walls don’t just serve to keep inmates in, they also serve to keep public eyes out.”
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Now hang on a damn minute. We, as citizens, do not have the right to choose what drugs we ingest. If caught ingesting something not approved by the government we are locked in prison where apparently it is ok for the government to force us to serve as guinea pigs for their pharmaceutical concoctions. So, we can't drug ourselves but, we can be drugged by the government. I have a very serious problem with that. Anyone with morals ought to have a very serious problem with that. The evil Dr. Mengeles' who are discussing this horrid idea should immediately be sentenced to prison or worse....

Friday, August 11, 2006

AFSCME Endorses Medical Marijuana

8/11/06

From Stop the Drug War

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
(AFSCME), the country's largest public service workers' union, passed
a resolution endorsing medical marijuana at its national convention in
Chicago Tuesday. AFSCME thus becomes the latest major civic
organization to advocate for access to therapeutic cannabis.

Passed on an overwhelming voice vote by convention delegates, the
resolution notes that marijuana has been shown to effectively treat
illnesses such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, glaucoma,
Crohn's disease, chronic pain, and the side effects of medical
treatments for these illnesses. And here's the bottom line:
"Therefore, be it further resolved that AFSCME endorse and support
legalization of medical marijuana for appropriate medically indicated
ailments, including but not limited to AIDS, HIV, cancer, arthritis,
etc."

AFSCME represents some 1.4 million American workers in both the public
and private sectors, including bus drivers, child care providers,
custodians, librarians, and other state, local, and federal government
employees. Of particular relevance to drug policy issues, AFSCME also
represents nurses and corrections officers. Some 6,000 delegates are
meeting all week in Chicago for the union's 37th annual convention.

"Our efforts to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest are
gaining new momentum every day," said Aaron Houston, director of
government relations for the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington,
DC. "This year alone, we've seen such new supporters as the
Presbyterian Church (USA), Citizens Against Government Waste, and now
AFSCME. With support this broad and growing this fast, it's no
surprise we saw record support in the US House of Representatives this
year, and we expect to keep building this large and powerful
coalition."

Prichard paying $100,000 to police brutality settle suit

PRICHARD, Ala. (AP) -- The city of Prichard has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle a federal lawsuit that alleges a man fractured his skull when a police officer threw him to the ground during an altercation.

City Attorney Willie Huntley Jr. said James Allen Woodard, who accused Jason Hardy Hunt of police brutality after the incident that occurred on March 22, 2005, initially sought $25 million from the city but agreed this week to settle for $100,000.

Huntley said Prichard already has paid Woodard $30,000.

He will receive $20,000 in each of the next three years, followed by a $10,000 payment. The settlement comes before Hunt is scheduled to stand trial Monday on federal criminal charges arising from the incident during which police searched Woodard for drugs in the parking lot of a convenience store. Finding none, they let him go, according to the trial brief.

Woodard shouted profanities at the officers and quickly walked toward them. At that point, Hunt threw him to the ground, slamming his head on the pavement several times. He spent eight days in the hospital with a skull fracture, back pain and a fracture to his right ear bone that resulted in hearing loss.

$100,000 isn't nearly enough money for a fractured skull, injured back and hearing loss. That alone should be worth $10 million. Another $20 to $30 million should be thrown in for having asshole cops who like to search people for drugs without a warrant. I'd say the cops are lying when they claim this man cursed them walked fast towards them...Yeah right...think about that for a minute....Prichard, being majority black, I'm gonna assume the abused was a brother and while a brother can run 9 times out of 10 they usually run AWAY from the cops....and with damn good reason as is evidenced by this story.

Drugs, Prostitution & The Campaign for Governor

From The Birmingham News

"In Alabama you're judged by the company you keep and Bob Riley has shown poor judgment again and again," said Jim Spearman, executive director of the Alabama Democratic Party. "From former Riley aide and now admitted felon Michael Scanlon to Riley cabinet member and top campaign aide Bill Johnson, who evaded taxes for 14 years and advocates legalized prostitution and drug use, Bob Riley continues to surround himself with people who can't and shouldn't be trusted."

This whole scene is an absolute scream!! I feel like I'm in Alice and Wonerland.

The truth of the matter is that Republicans should avocate legal drugs and prostitution because a 'true conservative' knows that these are not areas where the government has any business poking its long nose.

Democrats should also advocate legal drugs and prostitution because they must know that these laws have a disproportionately large, negative impact on minorities and poor people, who are suppossedly the base of citizens that the Democrats vow to protect and represent.

Riley's hiring of Bill Johnson is certainly no indication that he will suddenly remove his head from his ass and do the right thing where drugs and prostitution are concerned. As I stated before it is simply a ploy to steal any Republican support that I have (which is quite impressive).

Baxley trying to out-conservative Riley is a clear indication that she isn't ready to remove her head from her ass either and start speaking up for the people that Democrats are traditionally suppossed to speak for. I will say that I have a large, very large, Liberal Democrat support base in this election that is growing everyday and if the Democrats want to know why people think they SUCK these days all they have to do is look at Lucy Baxley and the way she is conducting herself in this election. No opinions on anything and she seems willing to demonize and scapegoat those who might ingest a substance she doesn't care for and those who have chosen the oldest profession as opposed to taking a guv'ment dollar.

Baxley is acting like a Republican and the Republicans are acting like Libertarians and when you vote for either of the two all you will get is screwed because they are both goobers.

Neither of them are what they claim to be.

Write in NALL Y'ALL for Governor
It's Just Common Sense

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Nall to Attend Peace Vigil

I have been invited to attend the Birmingham Peace Project's Anti-War Rally and Peace Vigil on Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006. If you are in or around Birmingham please come out and join us in calling for an end to the American occupation of Iraq and the heartbreaking conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

PRESS CONFERENCE AND VIGIL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THE BIRMINGHAM PEACE PROJECT
AUGUST 10, 2006
CONTACTS: DAVID GESPASS 205.323.5966 thepasss@aol.com
DIANE MCNARON 205.838.1391 dianemcnaron@aol.com
===================================================

CHALLENGE AND VIGIL


PRESS CONFERENCE "Answering the Challenge: Veterans Respond to Riley"
Saturday, August 12
4:30 PM
Birmingham Festival Theatre
Immediately following THE EYES OF BABYLON, info below *
1901-1/2 11th Ave. So
Birmingham 35205

VIGIL FOR PEACE
Saturday, August 12,
5:00 PM
Five Points So! uth at the Fountain

Gov. Bob Riley, at a news conference last Tuesday stated, "I've never talked to a person in the military yet who didn't say we ought to stay and we ought to win the war." The Birmingham Peace Project, unable to remain silent before this blatantly ill-informed assertion, announces a press conference to precede its Saturday Peace Vigil in cooperation with Pax Christi, and invites Gov. Riley to meet Iraq veteran and creator of the one-man show THE EYES OF BABYLON, actor and former US Marine Jeff Key; former Navy recruiter Susan Mims; Veteran for Peace leader David Waters and others who will afford Riley the opportunity to meet military personnel who, for many reasons, condemn the Iraq War.

Following the press conference, which will be held at Birmingham Festival Theatre, where Mr. Key's performance of his show has been so successful its run has been extended, the public and press are invited to a Vigil for Peace at the fountain at Fiv! e Points South. Members of the Birmingham Peace Project will deliver a recently written statement, copied below, condemning the latest illegal and immoral war of aggression, that of Israel against Lebanon.

In a retaliation utterly disproportionate to the alleged provocation, Israel rains terror upon those least able to defend themselves, the helpless civilian populations who are unable to flee, cutting off humanitarian aid channels with funds and arms supplied by the US. The Birmingham Peace Project stands in solidarity with International ANSWER in demanding that the people of the United States reject the quest for wider wars and the "reorganization" of the oil-rich Middle East to serve the interests of the already bloated energy companies, and instead spend these public funds on those things the people of this country need, including education, jobs and rebuilding of the Gulf Coast.

*See the one-man show before it closes!
Antiwar play, THE EYES OF BABYLON, matinee preceding Press Conference
starring Former US Marine, Alabamian Jeff Key
Saturday, August 12, 2:30 PM
Birmingham Festival Theatre
phone 933.2382 for reservations or visit http://www.bftonline.org/main.html
$17.00
==========================================

Joint Statement on the current crisis in the Middle East issued by:

Birmingham Peace Project (David Gespass, 205-323-599, the passs@aol.com or Jack Zylman, 205-933-7678)
Tuscaloosa Peace Project (David Lowe, 205-246-6126, caple66wood@gmail.com)
Alliance for Peace and Justice-Auburn/Opelika (Michael Mulvaney, 203-948-8803, mulvamj@auburn.edu)
Mobile Citizens for Peace (Fairlie Schreiber, 251-450-5970[w], 251-645-8539[h])

-------------------------------------! ---------------------------------------------------------------
Recently, an interfaith meeting was hosted at Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, Alabama which developed "Ten Principles For Living in Community." The principles included: use of religion as an agent of healing, reconciliation and peace; everyone enjoying the same rights; understanding, cooperation and respect being encouraged; and no one using religion to gain advantage over others.
Recent weeks have demonstrated that the State of Israel has no interest in upholding these principles. Sadly, for Israel, more and more "Never Again" means never again will Jewish people be victims. If the phrase were to have any real meaning, "Never Again" would mean never again will the world community tolerate massive violations of human rights, but the Israeli government, protected by the United States, eagerly violates Palestinian, and now Lebanese, rights under that banner.
We cannot be silent in the face of the assault on the people of Gaza and, now, Lebanon. Indeed, those actions must ! be condemned by all who value peace, justice and human rights. Yet much of the media in this country, as well as government officials, call only for Palestinian concessions to end the suffering raining down upon them by US-supplied weapons.

The facts are not really open to debate. A free and fair election in the Occupied Territories resulted in a Hamas victory. Israel and the United States then refused to send to Palestine money that belonged to it because they opposed the democratically elected government there.
Israel, despite its claims, continues to occupy Palestinian land beyond the 1967 borders. A military target, a member of the Israeli Defense Forces, was captured, following severe provocation. In addition to the withholding of funds, Israeli troops stormed a Palestinian prison and seized a number of inmates after US and British troops who were supposed to protect the prison suspiciously abandoned their posts when Israeli forces approached. Some thirty P! alestinians were killed in the weeks before the capture. The captors s ought a prisoner exchange and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert flatly refused, claiming that he would not negotiate over what he - and the US media - refer to as the "kidnapping" of an occupying soldier.
Then, Israel launched an assault on Gaza that is truly unimaginable. Due to Israel's bombing, the main electrical generating plant has been destroyed. What little water Israel allows people in Gaza is unavailable. Sonic booms are constant. Artillery fire does not let up. People there live in constant terror and fear for their lives. What little infrastructure Israel has left to Gaza is fast being destroyed. It is evident that Israel's only interest, whatever its rhetoric, is in denying the creation of a viable Palestinian state.

Israel has committed numerous violations of international law. It is imposing collective punishment on the Palestinian and Lebanese people and has targeted the civilian populations in violation of the Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions! . Its response, resulting in countless deaths in the civilian population, is entirely disproportionate to the capture of a total of three soldiers. Every United Nations agency on the ground in Gaza is reporting a growing humanitarian crisis in a population that was already suffering an 80% poverty rate and a 40% unemployment rate.

Terrorism is not perpetrated only by rogue individuals. It can be imposed by governments. There is no term more descriptive of the Israeli assault than state-sponsored terrorism. And there is no better way to describe the US in this regard than Israel's sponsor, so Americans have a special responsibility to demand the siege end immediately.

The current Israeli bombardment of Lebanon -- and especially Beirut, systematically destroying infrastructure and civilian escape routes -- is likewise brutal and naked aggression, raining terror upon innocent civilian populations and, as in Gaza, utterly disproportionate to the provocation. We therefore demand:

1. That Israeli aggression in Gaza and L ebanon cease immediately and that Israel withdraw behind the 1967 borders and that it cease the economic embargo and release all Palestinian funds to the legitimate government.

2. That Israel immediately and unconditionally release all Palestinian parliamentary and government officials it has kidnapped.

3. That Israel respect and act to implement the right of the Palestinian people to national self-determination.

4. That Israel comply with its obligations under the findings by the International Court of Justice that the wall it has constructed on Palestinian territory violates international law.
We recognize that some will accuse us of ignoring Palestinian acts of terror. In response, we can only quote Rabbi Michael Lerner, long a critic of both sides to the conflict: "But this week it's impossible as a Jew and as an American to not notice that a new human rights violation by Israel has taken place which manages to surpass many of its previous vio! lations in cruelty and in the outrage it has generated." Support of Israeli aggression is a betrayal of all that is good and noble in both Jewish and American traditions. We cannot be party to this and we cannot silently allow the United States to continue to facilitate it.
We support peace and security for all states in the Middle East but we condemn aggression and terror and all the more so when sponsored by a government in power.