Loretta Nall on the Larry Barton Show

Last Thursday evening I was a guest for the second time on the Larry Barton show "In the Interest of the People" where we discussed the banking and mortgage crisis, the Troy King rumors, the John Alexander Rochester case and a whole host of other topics.



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D.A. in John Alexander Rochester Case Steps Aside

I got word last night from a source close to the case that Clay County District Attorney Freddy Thompson has recused himself from prosecuting the John Alexander Rochester drug trafficking case. The Alabama Attorney General's Office has now taken over.

I don't know if it had anything to do with my publicizing this case so heavily, but I like to think it did and I feel like it did. If the D.A. had wanted to do the right thing then he would have stepped aside at the preliminary level and would not have been the DA at the bond hearing. That he waited until after the heat was on to step aside tells me about all I need to know.

I understand Rod Giddens, of neighboring Talladega County, will be representing John Alexander Rochester and that the D.A. prosecuting the case and the judge hearing the case will be chosen by the Attorney General's office.

I mailed the judicial inquiry complaint against Judge George C. Simpson last week and am waiting for word from them as to what they plan to do. I'll keep you all posted on the outcome. I am currently working on one against Judge John Rochester because, according to the Canon of Ethics he is responsible for making sure everyone in his court follows the law and the Canon of Ethics. Ultimately it was his duty to make Simpson step aside and he didn't do that.


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AUDIO: Troy King on Dale Jackson

In case you missed it......Attorney General Troy King appeared on WVNN with Dale Jackson this morning where Dale asked him about his hiring and promotion practices within the AG's office and also about the rumors that have dogged him for over three weeks now. King was there to talk about the Thomas Arthur case. I have edited the audio so that it only contains his answers to his hiring and promotion practices and the rumors.



Troy once again scurried for cover by stating that he does not address rumors. But, that isn't exactly true. When it was rumored that he wore a flak jacket underneath his shirt King went so far as to ask a reporter if they wanted to see under his shirt to dispel that particular rumor.

His answer about his hiring and promotion practices came directly from a commenter at J.D. Crowe's blog about the editorial cartoon in yesterday's Press Register. Strangely, the commenter was anything but 'Pro-Troy'. There again he's paying Chris Bence $104,000 a year and the best Bence can do is steal comments off of a blog to use in King's defense. Can't come up with a single, original statement of his own.

Troy King's answer to whether or not he can justify his hiring and promotion practices reminded me of 'Scar' in the Lion King when Scar said "I AM THE KING AND I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!!"

Hats off to Dale Jackson for getting Troy to appear on the show and for asking him these questions. Well done Dale Jackson!!

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Loretta Nall on Matt Murphy Show

This is from my appearance on Matt Murphy earlier this week.



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Troy King on Dale Jackson Thur. 8 A.M.

RED ALERT!!! RED ALERT!!!

According to the new Attack Machine Blog Troy King will be on WVNN Thursday, July 31, 2008 at 8 A.M.

You can and should listen live here!!!

No word on whether Troy has the testicular fortitude to take live calls. If he does the number is 1-866-494-9866

Pass it on!!

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Legislators aim to snuff out penalties for marijuana

CNN

The U.S. should stop arresting responsible marijuana users, Rep. Barney Frank said Wednesday, announcing a proposal to end federal penalties for Americans carrying fewer than 100 grams, almost a quarter-pound, of the substance.


Rep. Barney Frank's bill would radically curb federal penalties for personal marijuana use.

Current laws targeting marijuana users place undue burdens on law enforcement resources, punish ill Americans whose doctors have prescribed the substance and unfairly affect African-Americans, said Frank, flanked by legislators and representatives from advocacy groups.

"The vast amount of human activity ought to be none of the government's business," Frank said on Capitol Hill. "I don't think it is the government's business to tell you how to spend your leisure time."

The Massachusetts Democrat and his supporters emphasized that only the use -- and not the abuse -- of marijuana would be decriminalized if the resolution resulted in legislation.

This is the most sensible thing I have heard out of our congress in a long, long time. Quite possibly ever.

Watch the video



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I want my pig back!

God bless JD Crowe! Go read his blog entry and leave him some love in the comments! Muchas Gracias for the mention JD!



Ok, first things first. I want my piglet back. She looks forlorn and left out. I did not gift Troy with her so that he could abuse and neglect her. With all the money he makes and compared with the incredible amount of money he pays his other 'aides' Ms. Piglet should have made enough to have her own air conditioned ranch, a nice car and a litter of fat little King piggies by now. Troy, have your biological weapons clean up team decontaminate Trixie and I'll come by and pick her up next week. Make sure you get all the DNA off because I will seek to use every molecular strand against you in Trixie's alimony case.

Second, I love the money poking out of the blow up dolls back pocket. The SALARIES pants poked up its ass, as though some semi-long, cylindrical object was just there says it all.

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

J.D. Crowe is AWESOME!!

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Love Birds?

This was just emailed to me by someone who shall remain nameless. It is allegedly a picture from JW Godwin's FACEBOOK page before it was taken down back when these rumors first started circulating.

Ain't they cute?

Additionally, either Troy King is sporting a gut that extends from his collar bone to his waist or he's wearing a flak jacket underneath.


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More Lampooning of Troy King

In tomorrow's Press-Register editorial toon section.

This just in from JD Crowe

Y'all remember this blast from the past, and now you've got a taste of what's on the griddle for tomorrow...talk amongst yourselves.

The massive time gulf between now and tomorrow will seem longer than Christmas to Christmas. I won't sleep a wink tonight! The possibilities are nearly endless.

My first guess is that he is gonna 'Roger Waters' that pig. Any true Pink Floyd fan will get what I am referring to there. Alas, I don't think the editorial board will let him get away with that. Letting JD get away with drawing Troy's hand up that pig's ass is one thing...but allowing him to print a 'Roger Waters' version of the pig would just be too much. But, hell, a girl can dream, can't she?

Oh Boy!! I can't wait!!!


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Tuesday Morning Troy King Roudnup

The carefully wound ball of yarn continues to unravel....

Birmingham News Editorial
Being in the "In Crowd" at the AG's office has its perks and one of them is a very generous pay scale

WZTV Nashville

Associated Press - Alabama AG Boosts Staffers Salary, Titles

Tuscaloosa News Editorial - Alabama AG and his staff are overpaid

There are likely more that I haven't found yet.

Since this story broke on Sunday in the BHAM News I have noticed that the supporters who were defending King a few weeks ago on blogs all across Alabama have been dead silent. Yesterday one did respond to me over at Daily Dixie by saying "John Edwards and there is still no 'evidence'". No kidding....that is what she said.

While I have no beef with Susan Fillippeli I found her response to be typical of any political operative when one of their own is in trouble…point the finger at someone in the opposing party…QUICK!!!! Doesn't matter if they are not in Alabama...just find a Democrat/Republican engaged in some sort of questionable fuckery and start shouting their name. For the record, I agree with her that there has been little blogging from the Left on the John Edwards story....but Edwards isn't in Alabama and isn't using GOBS of Alabama taxpayer money in a highly questionable manner....so what does that have to do with Troy King?

Her answer as to why there are now crickets chirping in the spaces that were formerly occupied by King defenders is also pretty telling. In my opinion it amounted to “We’ve taken our toys and returned home” now that evidence seems to be surfacing. You’ll all notice that she offered no defense or explanation as to how a kid as young and inexperienced as JW Godwin could be making more than most entry level attorneys and at taxpayer expense no less. I can't help but think she and other Republican operatives within the state would have a great deal to say if it were the behavior of a Democrat AG in question. That they are saying nothing, when a few weeks ago they were threatening me and my children with malicious complaints lodged with government sanctioned kidnappers is, in my book, very, very telling.

There is definitely a lot of something to this Troy King story. I want to know what J.W. Godwin does that qualifies him to make $57,504 of Alabama taxpayer money a year. Does he carry suitcases real well when he and Troy travel together? Does he make a mean cup of coffee? What is meant by "he acts as a liaison between the Attorney General and the 'staff'?" (I bet the reporters were giggling their butts off when Chris Bence gave them that line...I know it about did me in when I read it.) Does it mean he is just a high priced gopher who scurries between offices to deliver donuts? What exactly does he do to earn that much cash?

And Chris Bence. Another guy with a broadcast background now in the position of paralegal....with no paralegal training. I can see how Bence could be hired into a position as spokesperson....but if what we have seen out of him so far regarding this story is the best that he can do then....WOW....just wow!! I mean if someone were paying me $104,000 a year to be their media person I think I could come up with something better than "What about the children", "JW is near indispensable" and, best of all, "liasion to the Attorney General's 'staff'". (Hell, wasn't that the original, scandalous rumor in the first place?)How bout some creativity there Mr. Bence? I am available to consult with you on coming up with stuff that is believable....but it will cost you. I don't have any experience in broadcast journalism....but experience doesn't seem to be something that Troy King's office cares for anyway, so putting me on the payroll shouldn't be a problem. Seriously, run that by Troy and see what he says.





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On the different standards for bloggers and the MSM

I was a guest on the Matt Murphy show this morning to discuss the very damning article in the Birmingham News yesterday that, in my totally biased and wanting it to be true opinion, did everything but say outright that Troy King hired his young male lover into a position he is not qualified for and at a pay grade that is way above his experience...which is none as far as anyone can tell.

I'm working on getting that uploaded.

There has been a lot of talk about the different standards for bloggers and the MSM. And there are different standards. Bloggers have no restrictions on what they can say and a lot of times I think we say what the MSM wants to say, but cannot. The MSM, on the other hand, has to be very careful or else their whole outfit could be dragged into court and bankrupted. Not that bloggers can't be sued, too, mind you.

How this particular story has played out has involved both bloggers and the MSM. The rumors started in Montgomery from sources that were in a position to know....else they never would have lasted this long nor would they have inspired the story in yesterday's BHAM News. The rumors moved from bars in Montgomery that pols frequent to the blog world...where everyone who is not fan of Troy King and even those who know nothing about him and don't live in Alabama had a field day with them.

While, most bloggers had more than a sneaking suspicion that the rumors were true the MSM, who no doubt wanted to confirm it so they could report on it, had to find another way to report on it because there was no direct evidence....like photos or people willing to go on the record and say that they knew it to be true.

And that is what yesterday's article in the BHAM News was. The real jump from the blogs to the MSM. That article, while without saying outright that the rumors are true, dripped with insinuation and pointed to some very strange things that seem to give credence to what bloggers have been saying for weeks.

The question now becomes why does that kid make so much money? Chris Bence's weak attempt to justify it by saying 'he is near indispensable' isn't going to fly. How is he near indispensable? I mean, if he were a genius in his field of broadcast journalism, then we should have seen some media genius come out of the AG's office recently...and I just can't recall any. In fact, all of the things coming from the AG's office in recent memory have been embarrassing for this state. So, it can't be that the kid is good at what he majored in and he gets paid a lot accordingly. What else could inspire such a fat paycheck for someone who isn't even a lawyer?

I think we'll know the answer to that relatively soon. Anyone want to start an office pool on when Troy King will resign?






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I'll be on Matt Murphy in the morning

I'll be a guest on the Matt Murphy show somewhere between 7:45 am and 8:15 am Monday morning to talk about this....which means we'll be lampooning Attorney General Troy King something awful!! Do tune in!! Click here to listen live!!


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Hey...Who's this?

They sure are lovey, dovey....and that kid looks damn near under age....I'm just sayin'





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Troy King boosts top aides salaries

HOLY SHIT BATMAN!!! $57,504 a year for homecoming king J.W. Godwin, a very recent graduate from Troy University, who majored in broadcast journalism...man those are some expensive blow jobs at taxpayer expense!

AG King boosts top aides salaries (be sure and read the whole article)
Sunday, July 27, 2008
by KIM CHANDLER and CHARLES J. DEAN
Birmingham News staff writers

Attorney General Troy King used his appointment author­ity to boost the salaries of top aides, designating one with no legal expertise as a paralegal while dramatically increasing the pay of another just days after that aide finished man aging Kings election cam­paign. In the case of another aide, King promoted him in steps over nine months from an un­paid summer intern not yet graduated from college to chief aide earning almost as much as entry-level lawyers.

Not receiving raises has not been a problem for another King employee — 24-year-old John W. Godwin. Godwin started working in the attorneys general office as an unpaid intern last summer, when he was a senior at Troy University. Shortly after arriv­ing in Kings office, Godwin was put on the payroll at $10 an hour. Over the next nine months, Godwin rapidly ascended the ladder. In July 2007, King ap­pointed him as a special ad­ministrative assistant earning $39,456 a year. He completed his degree in broadcast jour­nalism in December, and on March 27 was named to his current title of executive assis­tant, a job paying $57,504 annually, according to state records.

"J.W. is an exceptional young man who is the chief aide to the attorney general and who is almost indispensable in terms of the many functions he carries out in this office," Bence said. Bence said Godwins duties include policy research and constituent relations, and he serves as a liaison between the attorney general and the staff. Godwin travels with King as part of his duties, such as ac­companying him to this years National Association of Attorneys General Conference.

E-mail: kchandler@bhamnews.com

Any naysayers out there who still think there is nothing to the gay rumors? Anyone still think the media isn't investigating because 'there is nothing there"?

In the last week or so the AP did a story on Troy's extraordinary salary.

The Montgomery Advertiser, The Opelika-Auburn News, The Birmingham News and probably a few others that I have missed have written subsequent editorials about King's salary.

NBC13 asked Troy outright if there was anything to the rumors.

The media is HOT on this story. They are picking away at King's teflon flak jacket little by little. I predict we are mere days away from exposing the pink tutu underneath. I just spoke with a very trusted source who says there are actually pictures that would confirm this without a doubt. Without sounding like some sort of perverted weirdo.... I'd really love to get my hands on those pics. I don't wanna see'um...but damn I wanna see'um!





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Damn! Can't even shoot your own lawn mower anymore

CNN

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin (AP) -- A 56-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of shooting his lawn mower because it wouldn't start.

Keith Walendowski has been charged with felony possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle and misdemeanor disorderly conduct while armed.

According to the criminal complaint, Walendowski says he was angry because his Lawn Boy wouldn't start Wednesday morning.

He told police: "I can do that, it's my lawn mower and my yard so I can shoot it if I want."

A woman who lives at Walendowski's house reported the incident. She says he was intoxicated.

Walendowski could face up to an $11,000 fine and six years and three months in prison if convicted.

A call to Walendowski's home went unanswered

This is sad! What is this world coming to when you can't even shoot your own lawn mower without facing 6 years in the joint? I feel Mr. Walendowski is absolutely correct that it was his lawn mower and his yard and he had the right to shoot it if he wanted to. Who was harmed by his shooting of his own mower in his own yard?
I have a friend who shot his chainsaw a couple years ago after it kicked back and nearly cut his knee cap off. He threw it down, hobbled in the house to retrieve his shotgun, hobbled back out to the offending chainsaw and blew it to bits. Fortunately, no arrests were made.

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Troy King still refusing to deny rumors

Last night I joined Larry Barton again for his radio show in Talladega. Larry mentioned that an NBC 13 reporter cornered Troy King at a police graduation ceremony yesterday in Anniston and asked him about rumors that he is about to resign. Troy refused to answer saying that he was there to talk about the police. Did anyone else see this clip on NBC 13 news yesterday evening?

Glad to see the media is still trying to get to the bottom of this story. I'm starting to wonder if Troy King is, in some perverse way, enjoying all of this extra media attention. He sure doesn't seem to be in any hurry to put the rumors to rest. I know the argument that as long as he neither confirms nor denies the rumors that the media doesn't have a handle to write the story. But, really, which is more damaging? A media story where he denies that he is gay and moves on with business or having these rumors out there, festering and swirling with no denial at all?




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A True Story on Real Southern Culture

Found this over at A Bama Blog

Being a fan of all things un-pretentious and people who just don't give a damn what you think, I found this story to be very sweet. Being a fan of comedy I also found it hysterical.

A true story on real Southern Culture.




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Bob Barr for President 2008

Nuff said!

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Loretta Nall on Matt Murphy Show

This is from my appearance on the Matt Murphy Show last Friday where we talked about Alabama being the subject of 20/20's "Sex Police" series because of our retarded ban on sex toys, the Troy King rumors and cops bragging about busting an elderly man for growing marijuana to treat his Multiple Sclerosis.



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Loretta Nall on the Larry Barton Show

This past Sunday morning I was a guest on "In the Interest of the People" with former mayor of Talladega, Larry Barton and co-host Benny Green. This is a neat one because it is a gospel radio station and the opening and closing music harkens back to a time before I was born. I'm not real sure but the opening song "Man from Galilee" sounds like the Carter Family. Neat stuff.

In this show we talk about the Troy King rumors, my run for governor, the failure of drug policy, the John Alexander Rochester case and my future political ambitions.



I will be a guest on the show again tonight from 7-8 p.m. If you are in the Talladega area and can pick up 89.7 FM or 1230 AM then tune in.

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Montgomery Advertiser offers Troy King Advice...

On his OUTRAGEOUS salary....

King's Pay Too High for Alabama

Alabama Attorney General Troy King is the second highest paid state attorney general in the nation, which is outrageous in a state that historically and currently ranks among the bottom 10 in per capita income.

King says that he had nothing to do with setting that salary, which is true.

However, King should not be allowed to simply to wash his hands of the issue by saying he did not create it. There are lots of problems in Alabama that the state's attorney general did not cause, but that does not relieve him of the responsibility to help solve them.

Such a high salary ranking for Alabama's attorney general would not be justified even if King was the second-best attorney general in the nation. But considering his record, he cannot even claim that with any credibility. His record is far from sterling.

We would suggest that King take a little of his valuable time and give the issue of his high salary some thought. We would further suggest that he ask the Legislature to stop the automatic increases in salary for the office he holds. Even better, he should ask lawmakers to lower the salary so that it is more in line with what a state with a low per capita income should be paying.

I doubt Troy will be taking their advice...after all if they lower his pay how will he be able to afford to keep all of his rumored Messrs?

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Troy King almost makes MSM

A column last week by Montgomery Independent editor, Bob Martin advises a certain un-named public official to address the gay rumors which have plagued him for some three weeks now.

Unsubstantiated rumors?

In my entire life I have never seen anything spread as quickly as the rumor that was initiated last week alleging that a male state public official had engaged in same sex misbehavior. To say that the information "spread like a wildfire" is a significant understatement.

And while none of the mainstream media, at least through Sunday, had mentioned the matter, it is everywhere on the blogsphere, including mainstream sites such as al.com, the web site of The Birmingham News, Huntsville Times and Mobile Press Register.

The first whispers to emerge early last week were that the state official planned to resign. That had not happened as of Sunday evening. Former Lt. Gov. Steve Windom and political consultant Chris Brown told the Political Parlor web site that the named official would not resign. State GOP communications director Philip Bryan told the web site that he had not heard any plans that the official in question was going to resign.

It is truly sad that these rumors are generated in the first place and particularly cruel if they are untrue. I know the individual involved and have always thought him to be a moral and upright family man. I will be very disappointed if I find out the opposite. So will a lot of other folks. That is why I will not mention his name until he takes the opportunity to speak for himself. If the rumor is untrue and I was asked to give him advice, it would be to speak out soon and often.

Bob Martin is editor and publisher of The Montgomery Independent. E-mail him at: bob@montgomeryindependent.com

I want to thank Bob for this effort to move the story from the blogsphere to mainstream press.

I don't think this is anywhere near over for Troy King. Let me fully disclose here, in case anyone had doubts, that I want this rumor to be true.

While both sides have differeing, yet plausable, opinions on why this rumor has been treated with deafening silence, I'm still coming down on the side of "silence implies guilt." And it does....even if that is wrong and even if he is innocent of all accusations. Public perception-wise, silence implies guilt.

Think about it. When a defendant invokes the 5th amendment during a trial what is the first thing we think? GUILTY! When you are watching the cop shows and someone 'lawyers up' during a murder investigation interrogation, what is the first thing we think? GUILTY!

Public perception in politics is half the battle....at least half. Letting this rumor hang around and fester without addressing it has likely cost Troy King his career, whether this is ever proven one way or the other.

H/T Danny



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The Dope Choppers

Since Thursday of last week the dope hunting choppers, fully equipped with soldiers, ion detecting devices and fully automatic weapons have buzzed my property four times. I'm starting to feel like an Iraqi citizen in the war zone. This is getting really close to harassment.

It should be obvious, even to a zygote, that I would not grow weed on my own property or anywhere nearby. DOH! I wasn't in 2002 when these fly overs started, haven't in any subsequent years and am not this year. I admit to having an affinity for the green, leafy, plant material and it's true that I wish fervently that I could plant it along with my tomatoes, peas and corn....but I can't. And haven't. And won't until doing so no longer involves life-long torture and years of same sex rape in a cage all courtesy of our good old American government. Gawd bless Americuh! Land of the Free!

So, let's review. I was not growing marijuana plants in 2002 when the first flyover took place that started me on the road to politics. I haven't, in any years since, grown marijuana plants. Not even that year while I was in Colombia, South America, and my husband mooned your sorry asses while you were hovering a hair above that big pine tree that now makes up the corner of the dog pen. You know the tree I'm talking about. Hell, by now you know every speck of dirt and blade of grass on my place. I wasn't growing them last Thursday when you first flew over, last Friday the second time you flew over, last Saturday the third time you flew over nor am I growing them today. I won't be growing them tomorrow or the next day either in case you were planning to fly me again.

Please put your helicopters to use hunting children who are the subjects of Amber Alerts and put the national guard to good use by having them eradicate Kudzu, which is a true menace to our society.

All of this does sort of put me in a Copperhead Road kind of mood though.




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Ummm..Isn't that what police are supposed to do?

In a story in the Atmore Advance the sheriff of Escambia Co. had the following lament about what drug task force funding cuts have reduced those fearless, hard-working, men in blue to.

“The city police officers in our county are busy answering calls about speeders, thefts and other things and don’t have time to set up and work on drug cases,” Smith said.


Oh the shame! The OUTRAGE!
God forbid they should actually have to work a real call on a real crime with a real victim when there are so many victimless crimes out there to waste police resources on.


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Update on John Alexander Rochester Case

With all of the hoopla surrounding the Troy King rumors I have neglected to keep everyone updated on the case of John Alexander Rochester.

When I last posted about this case I was waiting on the 'story' that the Clay Times Journal supposedly ran about Rochester's arrest. To date I have not been sent a copy. I also have not received a call from the editor/publisher, even though I gave them my phone number, as requested. However, I was able to find someone in Clay County with a copy of the paper in question.

The Clay Times Journal DID NOT run a 'story' on John Alexander Rochester's arrest for trafficking drugs at the city park like they did on this guy or this guy. They ran the police blotter, merely stating that an arrest was made, the name of the person arrested and the charges. There is a HUGE difference.

It is abundantly clear that the Clay Times Journal has zero journalistic integrity, care nothing for actually keeping the citizen's of Clay County informed about what is happening in their community and are extremely biased, as they chose to write articles about a Hispanic male getting drugs through the post office, another guy (race unknown) getting caught with meth while taking a leak in the woods but NOT the story of the judges son caught selling drugs at the park where the children of Clay County play. Note that the main difference in the three men in question is that two of them are not the offspring of the presiding judge in Clay County.

Personally, I think the story of the John Alexander Rochester selling hard drugs at the city park is of far more importance to the community and certainly more newsworthy than a Hispanic guy getting drugs for himself through the post office or someone possessing meth for personal use. Neither the Hispanic guy nor the guy caught with meth were trafficking them at the city park and the fathers of these two guys never sentenced anyone to long, torturous years in a government cage for drug use. Yet we know all about them and the circumstances surrounding their arrests....but we have yet to hear a word other than a small police blotter report about John Alexander Rochester's case or the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

I've just finished up my complaint against Judge Simpson to the Judicial Inquiry Commission and will be sending it off today pending a look over by an attorney friend of mine. I am also working on one against Judge John Rochester. Since he presides over that Court it was his duty to make sure that Simpson recused himself and, as we know, Simpson did not.

Their arrogance is astounding. The way they have handled this case says that they believe they are above the law, can do whatever they want and are confident that citizens are too stupid to figure out when there is some judicial buggery afoot.

I've got one word for them.

BUSTED!

I don't remember exactly how long it took for me to get a ruling when I filed a complaint against Judge Kim Taylor in 2004. I don't remember it taking very long. I will keep everyone posted on any correspondence with the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission as well as any new developments in this case.




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Montgomery Advertiser to cover Troy King's salary

This is old news in the blogosphere but, apparently, Troy King has come up for air. The Montgomery Advertiser will run an interview of Troy King by the AP's Phillip Rawls tomorrow about the astronomical amount of money the King makes. Here is the teaser.

Alabama Attorney General Makes a Pretty Penny

Alabama is poor, but Attorney General Troy King isn’t.
King, a Republican, earns about $164,000 a year, second only to his California counterpart Jerry Brown. Brown’s pay is $184,000.
The state of New York, like California, is known for a big population, a bigger cost of living and a much bigger burden of caseloads in state courts. Its attorney general comes in a distant third at $155,500.
Alabama’s top law enforcement officer rakes in more than four times as much as an average state taxpayer, almost $50,000 more than an average state attorney general and about two-thirds more than a run-of-the mill lawyer.
The attorney general’s salary is tied to the salaries of associate justices on the Alabama Supreme Court — and they do all right, too. Their salaries rank seventh among American justices.
For all the details, see Sunday's Montgomery Advertiser, or visit www.montgomeryadvertiser.com


-- posted by Tom Ensey

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Waste of Money

In a very quick turn around, a letter I submitted to the BHAM News yesterday was printed today.

A waste of money:

In response to "Alabama authorities eradicate pot" (The News, Wednesday), I'd like to point out that by the Drug Enforcement Administration's own admission, 98 percent of the estimated 223 million marijuana plants destroyed by law enforcement in 2005 were classified as "ditchweed," a term the agency uses to define "wild, scattered marijuana plants (with) no evidence of planting, fertilizing or tending."

Unlike cultivated marijuana, feral hemp contains virtually no detectable levels of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, and does not contribute to the black market marijuana trade.

So, how much money is Alabama wasting by using helicopters and the National Guard to harass elderly men suffering from multiple sclerosis and to pull up and burn feral hemp plants that are of no value in the black market?

Loretta Nall

Alexander City




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Troy King tidbits for today

Media Frenzy From the Lagniappe in Mobile.

King Second Highest Paid AG in the Nation
That's a real shocker as King is about as qualified to be AG as I am to be Governor. The comments on the linked post above are interesting and show the incredible hypocrisy of the people supporting King in this rumor battle. Apparently, even though I never talked about Troy King's wife or kids, nor did I allow anyone else to on this blog, my children are now being threatened because some anon poster is angry that they can't beat me in a battle of smart-assery on an internet forum. Some Republicans are way too easy! It only took the following six, small words to unravel the whole Republican ball of yarn on why King has been silent for so long and those words are... "School is out for the Summer"

Troy King was client of a gay consultant killed in a double murder-suicide last year I'm not sure this has anything to do with the rumors about Troy, but it is interesting.

Troy, Troy, Troy An Alabama blogger who went to college with King says he has always believed that King was in the closet.

Troy King has been conspicuously absent from any media for the last week or so with the exception of this which appears to be unavailable at this time. This is a guy who never met a camera or microphone he didn't like. I'm told that he was a no-show at the Alabama District Attorney's Convention, a no-show at a Victim's Rights luncheon, and a no-show at a meeting with drug company officials involving a huge multi-million dollar settlement payable to the state of Alabama over Medicaid fraud. Word is still out on whether he has been attending church.

This rumor isn't going to go away. As long as he keeps his silence and avoids the media like the plague, then I predict that this thing will get bigger and bigger and bigger.

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Alabama Narcotics Cops Brag about Busting an elderly man with MS

This is some really sick stuff.

According to the Birmingham News DEA agents and the Alabama National Guard Marijuana Eradication Team have destroyed over 18,000 marijuana plants this year. Why, these heartless swine are even bragging about busting an elderly man who was growing it to treat his Multiple Sclerosis.

Nifty photos of the men in orange

Video

By the DEA's own admission 98% of the estimated 223 million marijuana plants destroyed by law enforcement in 2005, approximately 219 million were classified as "ditchweed," a term the agency uses to define "wild, scattered marijuana plants [with] no evidence of planting, fertilizing, or tending." Unlike cultivated marijuana, feral hemp contains virtually no detectable levels of THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, and does not contribute to the black market marijuana trade.

So, how much money is the state of Alabama wasting by using helicopters and the National Guard to harass elderly men suffering from Multiple Sclerosis and to pull up and burn feral hemp plants that are of no use in the black market?


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Oh Yeah!

Montgomery Advertiser
Montgomery police arrested a 17-year-old girl in connection with the shooting of another 17-year-old girl Monday evening.

Olivia Washington, 17, of 3450 Wilmington Road is charged with assault second degree.

The victim told police a car drove up to the 100 block of East Woodland Drive at 6:55 p.m. and the passenger fired a handgun. The victim suffered gunshot wounds to both thighs. The injuries were not life threatening, said Capt. Huey Thornton, a police spokesman.

Officers spotted the blue Ford Mustang "Kool-Aid" car and took Washington into custody along with the driver, Erica Brown, 20, of 4312 Amherst Drive, Thornton said.

Brown also faces an assault second degree charge. Both were taken to the Montgomery County Detention Facility.

The incident apparently stemmed from an ongoing dispute between the two teenagers, Thornton said.

-- Scott Johnson

I imagine the conversation leading up to this went something like...."Come on gimmie a ride....They ain't gone know who did it....I mean how they gone know who did it?"

And why, pray tell, would you ride around with the freakin Kool-Aid man on your car?

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Great Letter in Montgomery Advertiser today!!

Marijuana Fight Not Worth Resources

Chief Baylor said the Montgomery Crime Reduction Team over the past year seized about 40 pounds of marijuana.
Advertisement

Nationwide, the war on drugs has spawned paramilitary police forces using automatic rifles, concussion grenades, armored personnel vehicles and no-knock warrants to seize assets from nonviolent criminals under forfeiture laws that flagrantly violate the Fourth Amendment.

All that to seize marijuana and put a few recreational pot smokers behind bars, costing taxpayers $30 to $50 a day.

I have nothing but praise for Chief Baylor and his officers who are doing their jobs. I have nothing but disgust for a society nearly $10 trillion in debt with violent crime threatening people in their homes wasting scarce police resources on pot smokers enjoying themselves and harming no one. Don't forget that Slick Willie, Dubya and Obama admit having used marijuana.

President Bush should surrender in our war on marijuana. He owes that to his fellow pot smokers who didn't have well-connected daddies to get their drug violations expunged from police records so they could be elected president.
Joe Boyett
Montgomery

Bravo Mr. Boyett. I couldn't have written a better letter myself.



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Troy King whoops out "What about the children?" in his defense

Sources Close to King Deny Rumor

Their main defense as to why the silence has gone on for so long???? "What about the children?" No shit!!!! That's their argument. Troy's camp says he didn't call a press conference to address these allegations because he is afraid kids at his kids school might call "him a name."

Excuse me...MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!

I couldn't make this shit up!

I'd like to point out that school is out for summer break just now.

It sounds real weak if you ask me.

Besides...if this turns out to be true then maybe Troy should have thought about 'the children' before he went fishing for trouser trout....ya know what I'm sayin'?

(NOTE: I shamelessly stole the 'trouser trout' line from a poster at the Tuscaloosa News forums.)


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Waiting for the other high-heeled, red leather, spurred, cowboy boot to drop

Danny over at Doc's says there was a Troy King press conference planned for today but that it has been canceled because the Birmingham News didn't run a story about the rumors yesterday as planned.

So, they were actually going to run a story? But they decided not to? I'd be real interested in knowing the how and why of that.

Guess we're still waiting for the other high-heeled, red leather, cowboy boot to drop.....the suspense is KILLING me!

In the meantime Left in Alabama has an interesting piece on Troy King's Salary

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And the Troy King Gay Watch Continues

It's Monday morning and still no MSM on the very unsettling rumors flying around the internet about Alabama Attorney General Troy King.

Here are some new tidbits though. According to commenter's over at Doc's Political Parlor

#33 says, "King’s trial lawyer friends are working over time to preserve their strangle hold on litigation against drug companies. King was supposed to meet with one company on Friday, but sent his deputy. The trial lawyers are concerned that if King leaves, they will lose out."

It was also stated that King was expected to be at the District Attorney's convention in South Alabama this weekend but was a no show. Someone also pointed out that it's no secret that King and the Alabama DA's don't get along to well so maybe that is why he didn't show up.

I am waiting on word from someone who attends church with him at First Baptist in Montgomery to tell us whether he was there with his family or not yesterday. You know he teaches a Sunday School class of 3 year-olds? His not being at church is not telling in and of itself....I mean I used to lie on Sunday morning so I could stay home and watch 'Wild Kingdom'...maybe he does too! I would have gone to Montgomery and seen for myself if he was at church or not....but I only go to church for weddings and funerals. Plus, everyone in Alabama politics knows me by sight...I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Troy has a photo of me on the back of his office door to throw darts at....so I couldn't go and be just a new visitor and blend in and I don't want to offend the sanctity of church to other people by showing up just to spy on Troy King.

I'm not ready to call it either way. Some bloggers have backed away from covering this and apologized for their part in it. I, myself, don't see anything wrong with discussing rumors that you hear in your circles, especially ones like this, and I still think that there is likely to be something to it. The silence from the MSM who are reported to be working on this is a real red flag to me. That and the fact that the discussion has raged on some Alabama newspaper forums unchecked says something too. All of the forums that I have seen it on are heavily moderated and usually really racy stuff like this get yanked and the user banned for a short period of time.

I do want to say that the comments about Troy King's wife and children were uncalled for. I admit that I laughed at a couple of them on other sites (I'm human and have a depraved sense of humor) but felt for the most part they were way off base. His family hasn't done anything to deserve those and I feel badly for them, especially if this turns out to be true. I have not allowed anyone commenting on here to post things about his wife and kids. I won't allow it either so don't try....the comments will be deleted.

So, it's another day of tick...tock....tick....tock....tick....tock







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Update on McCain Site and the Missing Name of Troy King

Danny over at Doc's Political Parlor is also carrying this story along with some possible and very plausible explanations as to why Troy King's name is no longer on the John McCain website.

One of the commenter's is someone I greatly respect and consider a friend....Rep. Cam Ward....but I am having a very hard time swallowing the explanation given as to why the Troy King news release was snatched down around 2:30 p.m. on July 11, 2008 a day or two after this story lit up the blogs. I mean...I guess it's possible that the website is undergoing a face lift and Troy King's news release just happened to get pulled right smack dab in the middle of this controversy. But I think it an unlikely coincidence.

As of now the jury is still out on whether any of these rumors about Troy King are true. The King camp is dead silent, so are all the news outlets in the state.




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John McCain Website Scrubs Mention of Troy King

UPDATED HERE

There are some bloggers who are backing away from the Troy King story. But, I ain't one of them. This is too rich and keeps getting richer. Instead of dying out when the MSM stories never materialized in Alabama this thing has only gotten bigger. I (like mooncat at LIA) have seen an upsurge in traffic that is comparable only to when the "Cleavage Campaign" hit the mainstream media and I was #1 on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. Mooncat also notes that media from all over the country are following this story. I can confrim from my own traffic that this is true. I know that in the last few days my site has seen traffic from the Washington Post, NYT, nearly every paper in Alabama, CNN, MSNBC and on and on. This'uns HOT!

According to Left in Alabama and Fishbowl America Republican presidential nominee John McCain has scrubbed his site of any mention of Troy King. Search the site for yourself. I did. I came up empty on a number of different searches. And that's news worthy because Troy King IS Campaign Chair for the state of Alabama for McCain. But you won't find the Official campaign news release anywhere but google cache. Fishbowl America has a nice screen shot of it before it was taken down. (Great job Fishbowl!!)

Hey sukey, sukey what's the deal with Camp McCain taking down the news release? I certainly won't buy that it is coincidence.

Another reason I am not backing down from this is the complete and utter lack of denial coming from the AG's office. Sure, it could be said that this is a case of "Make the Bastard deny it!" but if someone accuses you of doing something that you didn't do, then what is the first thing you do? You say, "No I didn't" or "You lying sacks of shit quit gossipin" or even, "Prove it!"....although that last one is a little more dangerous in this case. You don't just let people talk smack about you and not say anything. Especially if you are the Attorney General of a very red, totally anti-gay state and what is being said is that you, yourself, are in fact, gay. Those kinds of rumors down here could very well ruin a career.

I know that lack of denial isn't proof of guilt...and that the accused are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty (yeah....like the accused in this case has been leading by example...remember his refusal to afford DNA testing to death row inmates?)...but it further serves to feed the rumor mill. I mean at least with the blow-up pig King's office acknowledged it after a while. And you have to admit this is much bigger and carries much more serious implications than a blow-up pig.

Then there's the complete and utter lack of denial coming from individual news media personalities and MSM newspapers in Alabama that have been named as 'about to print stories'. I mean seems to me like some of the ones that have been named in this thing would at least say, "We don't print gossip" or "You fibbers...I never said any such thing" or "We're not wasting our time on any such filth". But all we are getting is deafening silence.

So, I'm sticking with this thing.





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I'm Troy King and I'll Blow

From the brilliant minds of the geniuses who brought us Latex in Montgomery I now present for your listening pleasure....

I'm Troy King and I'll Blow
(Sung to tune of Roger Miller's "King of the Road")



Our friends over at Head On Radio have put together another video for this little jingle.


Yeah...I'm going straight to hell...I know. But I cannot help myself. Bob Kincaid and Jon Fox are super talented. Right now Mr. Fox is putting the lyrics of my Bobby Brown parody rendition to music. Can't wait to hear that one.

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If I'd a knowed that I'd a sent Troy King a Blow-Up Boar Hawg

ANOTHER UPDATE: Troy King Whoops Out "What About the Children?" in his defense!!

UPDATE:Waiting for the other high-heeled, spurred, red-leather, cowboy boot to drop

UPDATE: John McCain Camp Scrubs Website of "Troy King"

WELCOME Wonkette Readers!!!

WELCOME Crooks & Liars readers!!!

DON'T MISS I'M Troy King and I'll Blow

This is not about being gay. This is about being a hypocrite...of the highest order

There is an official denial of the rumor about Troy King now....so I can say what the rumor is.

According to rumors flying around for the last week Troy King, our rabidly homophobic, anti-sex toy, Sunday School teaching, pro-execution Republican Attorney General is GAY! And I don't mean that as in happy either. I'd bet he is anything but happy right now. In fact, according to two sources he is about to resign. Also posted here.

I have been sitting on this story for about a week. Truth is I am SORE from having to sit on it so long....but not as sore as Troy King is. Badda Bing! I would have blogged about it when I first learned of it but I can't afford a defamation lawsuit and Troy King already hates my guts anyway because of this...

Ya know...J.D.Crowe was a lot closer to the truth with that toon than anyone realized at the time...with the exception of maybe Troy King. I bet when Troy first saw it he did a double take and wondered, "Who in the hell gave them that photo?" before realizing it was a drawn cartoon.

Two Alabama bloggers emailed me asking if I had heard the rumor that King Troy's wife caught him in bed with a MAN and kicked him out of the house around the time of the Special Session. Could I confirm it?

Not sure why they thought I had an inside line on Troy's sex life (perish the thought...ICK!) Perhaps it had something to do with the pig?? But, I was damn happy they shared the rumor with me.

Even though I am an Atheist I began praying to Jesus, in the event that I am wrong and he is actually there, to please grant me this one request and let the Troy King rumor be true. Please. Amen.

I have some friends in pretty high places in Alabama politics so I called one of them up with the juicy details. They told me they heard a rumor about his sexual orientation some six months ago from a former reporter with a large, credible newspaper in Alabama. I also know that reporter and knew them to be very credible. The rumor at the time was that Troy's mystery man was his old college roommate who he gave a position to when he took over the AG office in 2004. Supposedly when Troy was out of town so was lover boy.

The story then became that the mystery man was a young man who had just graduated from Troy University and was the Homecoming King(no pun intended) (God that gets confusing...Troy King with the homecoming king who graduated from Troy) and that was who the wife walked in on. Then a few weeks later Troy and his boy toy from Troy were spotted at the YMCA (not kidding) engaging in....ummmm....inappropriate activities. Yeah...at the YMCA...made famous by the Village People. Apparently Troy has no inkling of what it means to be 'discreet'.

I'm betting they are both true. If Troy King can be a closet gay and Alabama Attorney General at the same time then there exists in this universe the infinite possibility for him to be a promiscuous, closet gay, Alabama Attorney General. But apparently closet and promiscuous don't go so well together. But, hell, no one is claiming that he's smart are they?

Time for a parody song....


Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from a friend who
Heard it from another you been messin' around
They say you got a boyfriend
You're out late every weekend
They're talkin' about you and it's bringin' me down

You take it in the buns baby
If thats the way you want it baby
Then I don't want you around

Sorry, I could not help myself. I have this thing for parody songs. Latex in Montgomery indeed!

There are so many things that make this a delicious story. Gay Sex, high ranking elected officials who are rabidly anti-gay in public but turn out to be gay in private, they get caught at the YMCA (of all places), the whole sex toy incident, the 'below the belt' legislation that Troy has made a focal point during his time in office, his desire to be the guy who injects death row inmates with deadly chemicals. I bet this is why he objects to DNA testing, ya know? Wonder where all they would find his DNA? It's really not much different than what Bill Clinton did with Monica Lewenski...except Troy is a Republican and his mystery partner is GAY!! Lordy, does it get any better than this?

This whole thing makes you wonder what else Troy was lying about, doesn't it? I mean I was a little surprised that the rumor was only 'gay'. I fully expected underage boys to be found chained in his dungeon. It could still happen, ya know? I don't think they've made it to exploring his dungeon yet.

And did he have a secret closet stash of sex toys when I gifted him with the pig? Inquiring minds want to know. I hear from reliable sources that he and his office staff were deeply offended by the pig. Maybe that's because she was a young sow and not a young boar hog. My apologies and all...but , hell, who knew?

Here is the real parody song though...to the tune of Bobby Brown by Frank Zappa

Hey there, people, I'm Troy King
I'm a cute Bama boy and I like to swing
My wife doesn't know or else she'd kill me
Hope those gay porn channels don't start to bill me

Here I am an elected dude
Im dressin sharp
n im Actin rude
Hired a homecoming king
He graduated from Troy
Let him do all the work
then I'll make him my boy

Oh God I am an Alabama Queen
I do not think I'm too extreme
An I'm a handsome sonofabitch
Im gonna get a hand job
And try not to get caught by my bitch

(get a hand
Get a hand
Get a hand
Get a hand job)

Gay liberation
Came creepin across the nation
I tell you people I was not ready
When I fucked this young boy
By the name of Freddie
He made a little speech then,
Aw, he tried to make me say when
He had my balls in a vice, but he left the dick
I guess its still hooked on, but now it shoots too quick

Oh God I am an Alabama Queen
But now I smell like vaseline
An Im a miserable sonofabitch
Do I like boys or ladies...i dont know which

(I wonder wonder
Wonder wonder)

So I went out n bought me a rubber suit
It fits real tight, but Im still kinda cute
Got a job doin prisoner execution promos
An none of the Republicans can even tell I'm a homo

Eventually me n a friend
Sorta drifted along into s&m
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
long as I gets a little golden shower

Oh God I am an Alabama Queen
With a spindle up my butt till it makes me scream
An I'll do anything to get some head
I lay awake nights fearin', my career is dead!
Oh god, oh god, Im so fantastic!
Thanks to Republican politics, I'm a sexual spastic
And my name is Troy King
I have a wiener and guys make it go schwing,
And my name is Troy King
I have a wiener and guys make it go schwing.

All the joking and wordplay is fun and if this turns out to be true then there will be more of it from all sectors. But amidst all the clamor let's not forget the accusation is that the person who he is supposedly having an affair with was an employee. One of the reasons that the AG in Ohio had to resign or he was going to be impeached was an affair in the office. The AG is the person responsible for up holding the laws of the state, that means he has to be held to a higher standard than you or I.

Wow! Now that's a ZUCCHINI!

This is the largest zucchini squash I have ever seen. It's like the size of a bat! My handsome son is modeling it for your viewing pleasure.



FINALLY!!! My brandywine was ripe enough to pick today. It actually could have stood another day or two on the vine....but the top keeps splitting because it is so big and I was afraid that bugs would eat it before I could.






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Howard Wooldridge of LEAP on Kevin Elkins

On Tuesday, July 8, 2008 at 8 a.m. Howard J. Wooldridge will be a guest on First Call with Kevin Elkins in Montgomery. You can listen at the above link.

Howard J. Wooldridge is a retired police officer, who is now active with Law Enforcement Against Prohibition an organization of retried police officers, judges, and prosecutors working to end the war on drugs.

You can call in and ask Howard questions at 334-860-1440.


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Mmmmm....Maters & Peas

Some of my tomatoes are finally starting to get ripe. The top two shots are of a BHN 444 and the bottom two are of the Brandywine.




Got our first mess of purple hull peas this week. I actually picked them before the hulls were purple and fixed peas and snaps. I made jalapeno cornbread fritters to go with them. It was a feast fit for royalty. I am already wishing I had planted more peas.

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Loretta Nall on Drug Truth Network

On June 30, 2008 I was a guest on Drug Truth with host Dean Becker, who is a fellow drug policy reformer and good friend of mine, where we discussed the John Alexander Rochester Case. You can listen here.

Back a couple years ago I was a regular contributing reporter to Dean's show. When my campaign for Governor began I no longer had time to contribute. However, starting in a week or so I will once again be a regular guest on the show.

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Garden Shots

Brandywine Tomatoes



Lima Beans


Cherry Tomato

Bell Pepper


Slightly wilted watermelon

Purple Hull Peas


Okra



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Loretta Nall on NORML Daily Stash

I was a guest on the June 30, 2008 NORML Stash talking about the John Alexander Rochester case. You can listen at the link above.

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Latex in Mongomery

My friend Bob Kincaid has been keeping up with the Sex Toys for Troy King and the erotic asphyxiation death of Reverend Gary Aldridge and he put together this song called "Latex in Montgomery'. It is done to the tune of "Angel from Montgomery" by John Prine and Iris DeMent. It is HYSTERICAL! I added images so that I could upload it here.



Damn! I can't quit singing it. It's so catchy!

Send me a dildo
I can't buy one in Montgomery
Send me a sex toy
But the deacons can't know

Drug Encouragement Administration

Reposted with permission from Radical Russ

The Drug Enforcement Administration was created by President Richard Nixon through an Executive Order [on] July [1,] 1973 in order to establish a single unified command to combat "an
all-out global war on the drug menace." At its outset, the DEA had 1,470
Special Agents and a budget of less than $75 million. Furthermore, in 1974,
the DEA had 43 foreign offices in 31 countries. Today, the DEA has 5,235
Special Agents, a budget of more than $2.3 billion and 86 foreign offices in
62 countries.

*So the DEA turns thirty-five today.* That deserves a special celebration.
Let's bust out our handy-dandy calculator and the official government
stats. Time to play Rate the DEA!

Today the DEA has twice the offices in twice the countries with four times
the manpower than when it started thirty-five years ago. In 1973, the DEA
had $0.075 billion to work with; today you have $2.3 billion. That's an
increase of 3,067%, or a greater than thirty-fold increase. Just what have
the American People received for this $31.4 billion dollar, thirty-five year investment ?

*Are there thirty-times fewer drugs now?* That's hard to say, since nobody
is out there taking official inventories of illegal drugs. But judging by
the Office of National Drug Control Policy's
figures that show drug seizures from 1989-2003, it seems that there are plenty of drugs out there. In that time frame, marijuana and heroin seized by law enforcement about doubled and cocaine remained steady.

Well, *those drugs have got to be harder to get, right?* All those seizures
and agents and arrests must mean the price of drugs has gone up
thirty-fold! According to the ONDCP's report on the Price and Purity of Drugs from 1981-2003, cocaine is one-fifth as expensive (pg 69), crack is about one-third as expensive (pg 71), heroin is one-sixth as expensive (pg 73),and meth is half as expensive (pg 75). However, the safest of all
recreational drugs, marijuana, did double in price (pg 77).

OK, so there are more cheaper drugs that are easier to get, but *surely
they've got to be less potent!* According to the survey previously
mentioned, cocaine is about 50% more pure (pg 70), crack's purity hasn't
changed much (pg 72), heroin is three times more pure (pg 74), meth purity
is about the same (pg 76), and according to the recently released report
from the Drug Czar's (Marijuana) Potency Monitoring Project, marijuana potency doubled from 1985-2007 (pg 17).

Wow. After thirty-five years of escalating DEA budgets, we've got cheaper,
more powerful, more plentiful drugs. But *maybe we now have thirty-times
fewer drug users?* According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health(multiple reports), in 1979 (first year of collected data) 31.3% of the population aged 12 or older had ever used drugs, by 2006 that figure
increased to 45.4%. On a per-capita basis, the percentage of drug users
increased by about half. In raw figures, people who ever used drugs doubled
from 56 million to 111 million.

I would hope, at least, with quadruple the number of agents and thirty times
the budget, the DEA would at least have *more arrests to show for
it.*According to the , FBI's Uniform Crime Reports we did go from 628,000 drug law arrests in 1973 to almost 1.9 million arrests in 2006 - that's about triple the number of arrests.

Has the increase in arrests at least *helped to save people's lives*?
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention , back in 1979, 513 Americans died from overdoses on opiates, cocaine, and meth. By 1998, nine-times more Americans died from those illegal drugs (4,942 Americans). (Data from 1999 and later is harder to quantify, as the CDC changed how they classify overdose deaths .
In 1999, 19,128 Americans died of "drug-induced causes"; in 2005, 33,541
died. However, those figures include the rapidly-increasing deaths from
prescription drug overdoses.

Yikes! More people are dying from using more plentiful, more powerful
drugs. Perhaps we're not getting to them early enough. *What about the
children?* Didn't we at least end up with thirty-times fewer high school
seniors using drugs? According to the Monitoring the Future survey (Table 5-2, pg 199,) often cited by the DEA, in 1975 (first year of the survey), 45% of 12th graders had ever tried an illicit drug. In 2006 (most recent data), thenumber of seniors who tried drugs was 36.5% - a decline of less than one-fifth, not thirty times.

So, not only more adults using cheaper, more powerful, more plentiful drugs,
but barely a dent in the kids using these drugs. But as the US population
has increased, there are more teenage drug users overall. Has the DEA at
least made it *harder for the kids to get drugs*? According to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration,
in 1992, 60% of teenagers said marijuana was easy to obtain, 40% said the
same about cocaine, and about a quarter said they could get heroin easily.
In 2006, half of teenagers say it's easy to get pot, one quarter say it's
easy to get cocaine, and about one seventh say it's easy to get heroin.

All right, then, we've seen the use and availability of drugs drop by
roughly one-fifth among teenagers in fourteen years. But when *a third of
kids have tried drugs and half of them say drugs are easy to get*, I don't
think that's much of a success story for a $31 billion 35-year effort.

Bigger budgets, more drugs. More arrests, more deaths. More seizures, more
potency. More agents, more users. For their thirty-fifth anniversary,
perhaps they should change their name to the *Drug Encouragement* *
Administration*.



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