See also the AL - 05 Big List.
Welcome to the AL - 02 Big List.
This list has been an attempt to keep up with everyone in either political party who has been credibly mentioned (in public or private) as a potential candidate for Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District since Rep. Terry Everett (R - Rehobeth) announced that he will not run for re-election.
Both parties’ qualifying period ended April 4, 2008. Three Democrats and six Republicans qualified for the primary race, and they are listed below. The primary is June 3.
The Political Parlor will update the Alabama Line (found in the sidebar) for the race, though perhaps not as fast as you like since input from a wide array of people is sought.
| Democrats |
Republicans |
IN
Bobby Bright, Montgomery Mayor
Cendie Crawley, Dentist, Troy native
Cheryl Sabel, Alabama NOW President
OUT
William Boyd, Montgomery Mayoral Candidate
Seth Hammett, Speaker of the House
Jimmy Holley, State Senator
Jimmy Lunsford, Troy Mayor
Gary McAliley, Pike/Coffee Co. DA
Wendell Mitchell, State Senator
Scott Ninesling
James Perdue, Crenshaw Co Probate Judge
Cooper Rutland, Union Springs Atty
Ron Sparks, Agricultural Commissioner
Terry Spicer, State Representative
Glen Zorn, former Florala Mayor
|
IN
David Grimes, State Representative
Jay Love, State Representative
John W. Martin, Retired Army (Dothan)
Craig Schmidtke, Dothan oral surgeon
Harri Anne Smith, State Senator
David Woods, President, WCOV-TV (Montgomery)
OUT
Greg Albritton, former state Representative
Wes Allen, former candidate for Auditor
Kenneth Boswell, Enterprise Mayor
Bobby Bright, Montgomery Mayor
Terry Butts, former Supreme Court Justice
Jim Byard, Prattville Mayor
Steve Clouse, State Representative
Mark Culver, Houston County Commissioner
Larry Dixon, State Senator
John Giles, former Christian Coalition of AL President
Jack Hawkins, Troy Univ. Chancellor
Jimmy Holley, State Senator
Tim James, Greenville businessman
Troy King, Attorney General
Ben Lewis, State Representative
Barry Mask, State Representative
Charles Nailen, Dothan businessman
Steve Pelham, former Everett staffer
Jim Sullivan, PSC President
George Wallace, Jr., former PSC Commissioner
Dot Waller, Autauga County Bd. of Ed.
Greg Wren, State Representative
|
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Bobby Bright will vote for Nancy Pelosi for Speaker. Enough said.
Comment by Bright loves Pelosi — August 6, 2008 @ 1:59 pm
Hey stupid people, Bobby Bright isn’t running as an independent, he’s running as a Democrat. Have you forgotten what happened last friday? the Democrats ended the debate on drilling and energy independence. Pelosi and Rangel contributed to Bright’s campaign. Bright has a (D) in front of his name. He can say he supports drilling all he wants, but if he wants anything to be able to happen with the party leadership in Washington he will have to shut his mouth or else be ousted. The Blue Dog democrats are a dead, politically irrelevant caucus stomped and buried by the socialists that control the Democrat party. they are simply protest voices, virtual pariahs of the party at the mercy of the Marxist leadership, used as political smokescreens to fool stupid voters in largely conservative districts only to be reigned in and slapped around if elected by the Communists under Comrade Secretary Speaker Pelosi. Furthermore, look at the records of some of the “Blue Dogs”- take Mike Thompson of California (no drilling, close friend of Nancy Pelosi) Earl Pomeroy of North Dakota (no drilling, against tax repealing) Jim Cooper of Tennessee (against NRA, porker for his district) among others. the Blue Dogs are a defunct group campaining with but a facade of fiscal conservatism, increasingly sidelined by the party leadership if any conservative votes are made. Fiscal conservatism exists moreso in the Republican party, and a resurgence of Reaganism is occuring. Sure, many republicans renegged on the contract with America, but a new one based on offshore and ANWR drilling is gaining momentum, only to be helped if Republicans win. There is no good reason to vote for irrelevantly Blue Dog endorsed candidate if a Republican is running too- the GOP is still the party of fiscal conservatism, and is the party of domestic oil and energy production too. the (D) tells you all you need to know if you’re a voter- D might as well be a hammer and sickle under the current new Democrats.
Comment by Thomas Jefferson — August 6, 2008 @ 12:12 pm
RE: #1937
Here is a link to the Montgomery Advertiser showing were Bright supports off shore drilling. It came out one day before your article came out. Good Try
http://montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080805/NEWS01/808050303
Comment by Anonymous — August 6, 2008 @ 11:23 am
Love is supporting Energy Reseach and Exploration…Bobby Bright can not do the same as he will have to vote with Pelosi.
8/5/2008, 5:01 p.m. CDT
The Associated Press
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican state Rep. Jay Love has promised to work to increase American energy exploration if he is elected to Congress.
Love is running for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. He faces the Democratic Party nominee, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright, in the Nov. 4 general election.
Love said he supports ending the federal ban on offshore drilling. He also favors opening up parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to energy exploration.
Love made the statements at a news conference Tuesday at Haynes Ambulance Service in Montgomery.
The chief operating officer for Haynes, Kirk Barrett, says the soaring price of gas has increased his company’s operating costs by $10,000 per month.
Comment by anom — August 6, 2008 @ 8:47 am
Another reason Alabama 02 needs to elect Democrats in Nov. Look at what the REPUBS are doing for energy research when we need more resources to curtail the rising costs. Thats right, nothing!
Alabama lawmakers question why Governor Bob Riley vetoed bill to set up energy research commission
Comment by anonomous — August 5, 2008 @ 8:08 pm
At least Half a Brain: “…but do you need a link to tell you the sky is blue.”
We’re not talking about what color the sky is. I can step outside and see what color the sky is. Not so with your claim about what Jay Love said. You made a declaration “And Love comes out saying he is going to “toe the party line”…” When I step outside I don’t see that in the sky. So if you’re going to convince me Jay Love said that, you’re going to have provide proof. Right now, at this point, you’ve been outed for having made a false accusation. And you’re trying to waffle on it by referring to completely unrelated, irrelevant subjects such as the color of the sky.
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At least Half a Brain: “Just go look at one of Love’s signs that has “Christian Conservative” plastered on it…Try looking on The Montgomery Advertiser.com at that his acceptance speech”
Nothing on/in either of those where Jay Love said he is “going to toe the party line”. Spin again.
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At least Half a Brain: “You have to forgive me, I am not sure what you mean here.”
Oh yes you do. My point was plain, simple and to the point. You accuse Jay Love of partisan politics while YOU go on a rant about/against his political party. Means you’re a hypocrite.
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At least Half a Brain: “One thing you do have right is that he never does use the words Southern Democrat at all, rather he lumps all the Dems in together, back to the point of being stereotypical.”
So now you’re flip-flopping over what you previously said when you alleged that “I have many Southern Democrat friends that are not nearly what Jay Love has stereotypically made them out to be…” NOW you’re admitting that Jay Love didn’t refer to your friends as “Southern Democrats” and make disparaging remarks about that demographic.
And is that a bona fide demographic? Well, when are you “southern democrats” going to put up a candidate from a political party that is not allied with/led by John Kerry, Barack Hussein Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, John Murtha, Robert Byrd and others?
Hmmm? Until then, you don’t have any business trying to distance yourself from people like that by somehow claiming your hides are a different color.
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At least Half a Brain: “I am still trying to understand your fascination with “Links”. Personally, I do prefer to get my information from more creditable sources than the internet when available.”
You’re on an internet discussion board. This is the venue. We can’t ‘read the hard copy of the newspaper’ here on the internet. We can, however, read the same article on internet websites run by the same television stations, the same newspapers and the same magazines that print the same stories, quote the same speeches, etc. by the same people that you read about in magazines and newspapers (hard copies). Your refusal to provide links to the different things you allege Jay Love said is not because you consider websites by those news outlets to lack credibility, it’s because you’ve made false allegations about Jay Love said.
Besides, I didn’t ask you read any links I provided: I challenged YOU to provide links. You claim to know what Jay Love said about “toeing the party line” and “Southern Democrats”. Well then: go out there and find those quotes in whatever newspaper, magazine, etc. and then check those news outlets’ websites and if those things are there, give us the link.
It’s not that you WON’T, it’s that you CAN’T because you’ve made false accusations. Prove me wrong.
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In short, if you want to talk up Bobby Bright that’s fine. But when you make false accusations about what Jay Love said, that’s unacceptable.
Comment by Anonymous — August 5, 2008 @ 6:14 pm
1. Purveyor of Pragmatism “In this sort of venue -the context of an online discussion board such as this one- links ARE “proof”. Otherwise, you’ve provided no “proof”. ”
I understand that a link can provide “proof” but do you need a link to tell you the sky is blue. Just go look at one of Love’s signs that has “Christian Conservative” plastered on it, or if you like I can provide you a link to one of his many Democrat bashing speeches. Try looking on The Montgomery Advertiser.com at that his acceptance speech, this one is a personal favorite of mine and one that shut the door on him in my eyes.
2. Purveyor of Pragmatism “Said the poster, said the poster who preceded that sound-byte, preceded that sound-byte with a scathing criticism of Jay Love ON THE BASIS OF HIS POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION. Know what hypocrisy looks like? Look in the mirror, look in the mirror”.
You have to forgive me, I am not sure what you mean here. Either way I will use it clarify my point that it is Partisan Politics that is tearing this country down, Dems and GOP. We need someone that is going to cross party lines or stand in the middle to get things done on with both parties for the betterment of AL 02. We do not need to send someone to Washington that has made enemies with the leadership of the House. I also need to be very clear on one thing, I am not picking a party, if anything I am bashing both. At this point I just see Bright as the one least stuck on party affiliation.
3. Purveyor of Pragmatism “What has Jay Love said about your friends -? Give us some quotes, some links, where Jay Love said something to the effect of “A southern Democrat is a _______ “”
I am still trying to understand your fascination with “Links”. Personally, I do prefer to get my information from more creditable sources than the internet when available. So to answer you question I would like to refer you again to anyone of Love’s speeches were you will see he speaks more about the Dems than himself, much less any issue important to AL 02. Pick any speech since the run off and you will see what I am talking about. It seems Love knows more about the Dems than he does himself. One thing you do have right is that he never does use the words Southern Democrat at all, rather he lumps all the Dems in together, back to the point of being stereotypical.
4. Purveyor of Pragmatism ““Bright has stated” is not the same as Bright has done or Bright will do. You’ve provided no more proof for your deification of Bright than you have for your vilification of Love”.
The best proof I can provide you are the last 9 years as mayor of Montgomery. During this time I have seen him work across a line of a much larger divide than GOP and Dem, the race line. He has done something that I never thought he would be able too in getting whites and blacks to work together to improve Montgomery. My personal favorite example has been the “One” program he and his wife strongly sponsored. I also don’t think I am alone in thinking this, he has been vary popular receiving the majority or what votes and a majority of black votes in both his reelection bids. If he can work across this line then I am sure he will be able to cross political lines.
5 . Purveyor of Pragmatism “Ummmm…is there supposed to be a coherent sentence in that rant somewhere? I’m not trying to be the grammar police here but if you’re going to use words with more than two syllables, you should make sure you put them together in coherent sentences”.
I do apologize if that was not coherent; I got my degree in Finance from The University for obvious reasons. However, I have enjoyed this and if you can handle my grammar problems when I get a little heated then I look forward to enjoying some more debates on here with you in future.
As for what I was saying….. To simply put it, you can not accomplish as many things making enemies as you can making friends. Bashing the leadership of the group you are trying to join has proven to be a very unproductive strategy from what I have seen in personal experiences.
Reply to post #1933
Bush did not veto one spending bill in the first 6 years in office. I don’t care if they were for the Iraq war, Afghanistan, Katrina, or something domestic. I completely understand we have a War on Terror going on, but we have to make cuts here or if not we have a huge transfer of wealth that could end up pushing us into a credit crunch or a drastic devaluing of the dollar. Bush nor any GOP member has called for this.
Also, I am not fan of Bill Clinton. I actually see him as one of the reasons for the fall of the modern GOP. His adulterous situation drew so much support to the GOP causing them to be misguided on what are true issues of the GOP. I have no proof of that, but just a personal observation.
Comment by At least Half a Brain — August 5, 2008 @ 11:27 am
At least half a brain: “I should have said 8 years, I truly believe in the last 8 years the GOP has gone way off track from the party of the 80’s and 90’s. Example: Look at our deficit. I would love to see the play book from the GOP of the 80’s and early 90’s used today rather than this mutation of the party we have today.”
You and others who whine about the deficit (and the ‘loss’ of “all that surplus that Slick Willie accumulated”) conveniently ignore the expense of such things as The Global War on Terror and Hurricane Katrina that have occurred over the last 8 years. Actually, you don’t ‘forget them’ you must make sure to omit them.
H.K. alone has cost the government billions of dollars. It was relatively ‘easy’ for Slick Willie to build a surplus: he inherited a world of relative calm and peace thanks to the Reagan-Bush administration. So Slick Willie continued to slash the military even more. That put America more than a decade behind latest technology when it was time to go to war in the Middle East/Afghanistan.
Too much to hash out here but for someone who earlier claimed “This race needs to be needs to be about AL 02 –vs- the Washington leadership that have got this country into the mess it is in now, not Dem –vs- GOP…” you’re running around with a big floppy strap-on for the GOP, slamming the GOP at every turn.
Maybe you’ve only got half a brain but your mouth is full of double-talk.
Comment by Purveyor of Pragmatism — August 4, 2008 @ 10:30 pm
At least half a brain: “Purveyor of Pragmatism….. You don’t need links when you have proof.”
In this sort of venue -the context of an online discussion board such as this one- links ARE “proof”. Otherwise, you’ve provided no “proof”.
At least half a brain: “This race needs to be needs to be about AL 02 –vs- the Washington leadership that have got this country into the mess it is in now, not Dem –vs- GOP.”
Said the poster, said the poster who preceded that sound-byte, preceded that sound-byte with a scathing criticism of Jay Love ON THE BASIS OF HIS POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION. Know what hypocrisy looks like? Look in the mirror, look in the mirror.
At least half a brain: “Jay Love has so far banked his whole campaign on creating fear of a Democrat. I need something more than that. I have many Southern Democrat friends that are not nearly what Jay Love has stereotypically made them out to be…”
What has Jay Love said about your friends -? Give us some quotes, some links, where Jay Love said something to the effect of “A southern Democrat is a _______ “
At least half a brain: “Bright has stated a number of times he will work with anyone on either side of the isle if it means betterment for the people of AL 02.”
“Bright has stated” is not the same as Bright has done or Bright will do. You’ve provided no more proof for your deification of Bright than you have for your vilification of Love.
At least half a brain: “I don’t care if you are GOP, DEM, or the Devil himself, you are not going to get anything for your district if you come to Washington as a freshmen and were elect using criticisms of the people who decide if your bill goes to the floor or not. It is called strategy.”
Ummmm…is there supposed to be a coherent sentence in that rant somewhere? I’m not trying to be the grammar police here but if you’re going to use words with more than two syllables, you should make sure you put them together in coherent sentences.
Comment by Purveyor of Pragmatism — August 4, 2008 @ 10:22 pm
Purveyor,
Take it however you wish, although your attempt to twist my statement into your own mindset does not attract much interest here. You and I both know that Bright is the best man for Congress. 02 deserves to have him in that position come Nov. 4 and as stated previously, he has the knowledge and maturity to get things done when elected.
Comment by 02 Voter — August 4, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Correction in my last post #1929:
“and running the same campaign playbook the GOP has fooled me with for 18 years”
I should have said 8 years, I truly believe in the last 8 years the GOP has gone way off track from the party of the 80’s and 90’s. Example: Look at our deficit. I would love to see the play book from the GOP of the 80’s and early 90’s used today rather than this mutation of the party we have today.
Comment by At least half a brain — August 4, 2008 @ 3:37 pm
Purveyor of Pragmatism….. You don’t need links when you have proof. Jay Love is running to the right and his party any chance he gets, examples: flaunting “Christian Conservative Jay Love”, touting his Washington endorsements against Smith, attending a Dick Cheney event in Washington just last week, and running the same campaign playbook the GOP has fooled me with for 18 years.
This race needs to be needs to be about AL 02 –vs- the Washington leadership that have got this country into the mess it is in now, not Dem –vs- GOP. Jay Love has so far banked his whole campaign on creating fear of a Democrat. I need something more than that. I have many Southern Democrat friends that are not nearly what Jay Love has stereotypically made them out to be, and from what I can tell he is doing the same to Bright.
We also need a congressman that can get things done for this district even if it means crossing party lines. Bright has stated a number of times he will work with anyone on either side of the isle if it means betterment for the people of AL 02. Love has done nothing but make enemies of the LEADERSHIP of the House. I don’t care if you are GOP, DEM, or the Devil himself, you are not going to get anything for your district if you come to Washington as a freshmen and were elect using criticisms of the people who decide if your bill goes to the floor or not. It is called strategy.
Comment by At least half a brain — August 4, 2008 @ 3:31 pm
Comment by 02 Voter: Have you heard Love say anything other than he’ll toe the line with the GOP?
Here’s the real question: have YOU heard Love say that he is “going to toe the line with the GOP” -??? If so, provide a link to the quote and source.
Otherwise, you just made a false accusation.
Your claim that “Bright is a much stronger candidate and better man for Congress” seems to be based on your invalid comparison between what Bright (supposedly) said and what Love didn’t say. An extrapolation based on what someone didn’t say is like statistics: both can usually be manipulated to mean whatever someone wants depending on his agenda.
For example, Bright didn’t say he will never molest senate pages. Because Bright never said that he WON’T do that, is it the same as him saying that he WILL do that? No, of course not. But that’s the same sort of ‘logic’ you’re using when you claim that just because Love didn’t say he WILL “cross party lines” on issues when necessary is the same as him saying he WON’T and instead will “toe the GOP party line”. That’s a non sequitur argument (at best).
Comment by 02 Voter: “Bright has yet to make promises in this race that he won’t be able to keep.”
Pffft! Candidates rarely make promises that they CAN’T keep. It’s usually a case of making promises that they WON’T keep.
Comment by Purveyor of Pragmatism — August 4, 2008 @ 10:14 am
Re; 1926 Anom,
Bright has yet to make promises in this race that he won’t be able to keep. Although, it is a good try on your part to make it look as though he won’t be able keep the promise of crossing party lines.
I’d venture to say that he is one person that will keep his word and you can take that to your bank. He has already informed the DCCC that he will cross over when necessary. He wasn’t hiding behind anyone when he made those statements either. Have you heard Love say anything other than he’ll toe the line with the GOP? No, so that should tell you Bright is a much stronger candidate and better man for Congress.
Comment by 02 Voter — August 3, 2008 @ 9:39 pm
THE DNC doesn’t spend 600,000 on a race and the tell their candiadte “sure, Bobby, please vote the way you want too. especially since everything you say you stand for, will mean you vote with the republicans 90% of the time. and after all, you did vote for huckabee and will not say u support obama, but its ok bobby, here is 600,000″ wink wink.
Comment by Anonymous — August 3, 2008 @ 6:45 pm
LD, the AFL-CIO made their endorsements known yesterday and guess what NOT A LIBERAL BOBBY BRIGHT wasn’t on there. Guess Jay, Mike Hubbard, VP DICK, Troy King and yourself will roll out of the bed in the morning (together) and realize that BRIGHT, is in fact, NOT a Liberal. So, if you and your neo-con buddies wish to maintain the 2nd Congressional District you better come up with a new attack. Maybe you could pick something that is a little effective, please for God’s sake. I want this race to be somewhat interesting!
Comment by NOT A LIBERAL — August 2, 2008 @ 6:01 pm
People are sick of Partisan Politics, at least I know I am. I want someone that is going to cross party lines to get things done for district 2. I voted for the party for over 18 years, and I know I created some of the problems this country is in. However, We need to start looking for people that are going to cross party lines and not pick the part over the district. Love trying to turn this race into a Democrat –v- Republican battle is a huge turn off right now. Give me someone that is not going claim to “toe the party line” no matter what party and that will put us first.
Comment by At least half a brain — August 1, 2008 @ 3:39 pm
I don’t even know what a true republican or true democrat is anymore. Much less who is actually one. All I know is that I am not voting for Obama or Love. Both are too inexperienced and don’t connect well with AL 02
Comment by gvillefarmer — August 1, 2008 @ 2:07 pm
1924,
I agree with you 100% and when I heard Love say he will toe the party line, that summed it up for me. I was convinced that he is definitely the wrong candidate for 02. We need someone that will vote against out of control spending habits that we have lived with for 8 years. That is why this country is in the mess it is in. SPEND and BORROW, SPEND and BORROW. We nor our children will never pay off the interest from the money borrowed and soon other countries will totally own our beloved USA.
Just watch the news and you’ll see it for yourself.
Comment by anonymous — August 1, 2008 @ 12:31 pm
LD…..I will take the lack of response to the other potion of my post as you agreeing with me that the GOP of today is not the GOP of 10 years ago. One that I strongly supported during the Reagan years and trusted up until I finally figured out that I got lied to about why a majority of our money was being spent in the mid east. I am sorry, but I really believed Iraq was a threat. And Love comes out saying he is going to “toe the party line”, that is a huge turn off right now. I want some one that is not stuck on party politics, and that will do what is best for me and district 2. I don’t care if that person is a Republican, a Democrat, or Democrat trying to be a Republican. Hell, the latter sounds best of them all.
Comment by At least half a brain — August 1, 2008 @ 12:07 pm