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politics

All politics is local. All of Alabama’s mayors races this year

With it being a presidential election year and an election for one of our United States Senate Seats and all of the interest that goes along with those high-profile contests, it has gone under the radar that most of our cities in the state had elections for mayor and city council last month. Mayors serve … Continued
September 23, 2020

The American way

The politics of hate and fear are as old as humankind but have become even more hardened here in the United States over the last four decades. Looking out over the current hostile political landscape, the words “We the People,” “One Nation,” and “E Pluribus Unum” seem less aspirational than anachronistic. But some of us … Continued
August 31, 2020

What the politics of fear has cost us

We bought a boat. That’s what hundreds of people in Alabama did. They all chipped in and bought a nice, big boat for a bona fide scam artist. They also dumped thousands of dollars into the disheveled pockets of Nazi-whisperer Steve Bannon.  And we tried to give more. Boy, did we try.  The president of … Continued
August 21, 2020

Who will stand and lead?

Alabama is beset by a worldwide pandemic, economic collapse and a growing cry for social justice for its black citizens. Anyone of these crises alone would require superior leadership of conscience, fortitude and political skill. But at this moment, who is leading? The silence of the state’s top leaders is troubling but speaks to the … Continued
June 17, 2020

Why George Wallace said “no” to the U.S. Senate

My next book on Alabama politics will expound on who I believe have been the top 60 political leaders in Alabama over the past 60 years. More than likely in any political historian’s book George Wallace and Senator Richard Shelby would rank as the top two.  The question is, “Who gets the number one spot?” … Continued
June 17, 2020

A fictional story about a fictional government

I’m going to tell you a story. We’ll pretend that it’s not true.  Let’s start this story back in 1901, when a bunch of white men gathered to rewrite the constitution of a fictional state where slavery was once the economic engine that brought prosperity. Those men, mostly petty and small and fearful of anything … Continued
May 7, 2020

In the end, consensus

At APR’s morning teleconference call on Monday, I asked the staff if there was a unifying message we could send about the mass shootings that took place over the weekend. APR’s statement of purpose centers around the idea of covering state politics to inform, educate and alert our readers to what is happening in state … Continued
August 7, 2019

2019 Legislative Session deserves a solid C-

After the closing of the 2019 Legislative Session, both House Speaker Mac McCutcheon and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh gave the session high marks. When judging the success-failure of a legislative session, it is elementary to understand a few key factors. Never confuse activity with accomplishments. Never judge legislation by its intentions. Never believe … Continued
June 10, 2019

An act of Congress

A good many people wonder why simple, straightforward, no-nonsense, good-government legislation fails to pass even though it appears to have universal and overwhelming support and appeal for many voters and legislators. You will recall old sayings that you heard from your elders when you were young. Old bits of wisdom spouted from the lips of … Continued
May 29, 2019

On controversial legislation, there are a couple of Republicans to trust

From an ethical point of view, the Alabama Republican Party has endured a tough run the last few years. There have been at least eight arrests of party leaders and high-ranking ALGOP lawmakers. The Speaker of the House, the governor, the majority leader — they all went down for ethics crimes primarily related to using … Continued
April 23, 2019