Alabama Politics in
Doc’s Political Parlor
& Home of Lawn Mower Repair

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1161854631225790.xml&coll=2 - Legislators gave community college chancellor discretion over millions of dollars.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1161854660225790.xml&coll=2 - Seven close races may decide who controls state Senate for the next four years.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1161854465225790.xml&coll=2 - Article profiles Jan Cook, candidate for reelection to PSC.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/index.ssf?/base/news/1161854363225790.xml&coll=2 - Article profiles John Rice in his efforts at defeating Cook for PSC seat.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1161854802225760.xml&coll=3 - Interim chancellor says more problems at community college will emerge in coming months.

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/news/1161854103225760.xml&coll=3- Federal judge orders hearing on juror misconduct in Siegelman case.

http://www.al.com/opinion/mobileregister/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1161854852225760.xml&coll=3 -Press-Register says state should consider use of charter schools to improve education, blames AEA for stopping efforts.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/APN/610251719 - While students call for new constitution, candidates ignore issue.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061025/APN/610251453 - Inmate faces execution today.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS/610260306/1012/editorial1 - The Tuscaloosa News calls for reformers to increase efforts at ending PAC-to-PAC transfers.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/061026/ads.shtml - State GOP running radio ads, telephone banks linking Democratic legislators to gay rights issues.

http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/opinion/editorials/061026a.shtml - The Decatur Daily endorses Cobb in race for Chief Justice.

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS/610260308/1050/OPINION - The Gadsden Times endorses Nabers in race for Chief Justice, names other choices in appellate courts.

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS/610260319/1015/OPINIONS01 - Times Daily endorses Chapman in race for Secretary of State.

http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=0c4859bbda7dfe28 - Barron vows to remain on ballot in spite of legal challenge.

http://www.thedailysentinel.com/story.lasso?ewcd=4c4c65dba126e080 - Barron’s GOP opponent says Barron’s name should not be removed from ballot.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS02/610260333/1009 - Alabama has one of nation’s highest rate of disenfranchisement due to felony convictions.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/NEWS02/610260342/1009 - AG candidate Tyson says politics lead to King’s decision to enter Mobile County case.

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061026/… - The Montgomery Advertiser endorses Ivey in race for State Treasurer.

http://www.oanow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=OAN/MGArticle/OAN_Basic… - New census data shows Alabama near bottom in both high school graduation rates and college degrees.

http://www.annistonstar.com/opinion/2006/as-editorials-1026-editorial-6j25t5215.htm - The Anniston Star endorses Bob Riley for governor, saying he has proven himself to be an effective governor

FROM TODAY’S ANNISTON STAR:

Republican state senators seek control of senate through alliances

MONTGOMERY – Even if voters keep Democrats in charge of the Alabama House and Senate next month, the GOP could get one of the houses after the votes are counted.

State Sen. Del Marsh, R-Anniston, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party’s Finance Committee, said he’s spoken with several Democratic colleagues about forming a coalition that could wrest power from current Senate President Pro Tem Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe, and put Republicans and conservative Democrats in charge of the upper chamber.

That would mean a State Senate more willing to accept a Republican governor’s legislative package, or less willing to consider a Democrat’s.

At least one Democrat is open to the proposal.

“We would consider it,” said State Sen. Larry Means, D-Attalla, who is running unopposed for re-election. “We want a conservative organization in the Senate. There’s a lot of infighting within the Democratic Party at this time.”

Democrats currently have a 25-to-10 majority in the upper chamber, but they have not always gotten along.

A group of Democrats on the chamber’s Rules Committee — which determines which legislation goes out to the chamber for a vote — formed an anti-Barron coalition on the committee this year.

In response, Barron and three other Democratic leaders funneled campaign money into a political action committee called Senate Majority PAC, which then made hundreds of thousands of dollars in in-kind contributions to candidates challenging members of the anti-Barron coalition. The PAC helped unseat State Sen. Gerald Dial, D-Lineville last June in a bitter and expensive primary campaign.

The PAC also funded challengers to Means, State Sen. Jim Preuitt, D-Talladega, and State Sen. Jimmy Holley, D-Elba, considered friendlier to Gov. Riley than other members of their party. Marsh said he had spoken to those senators, as well as to Tom Butler, D-Madison, and Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro.

Control of the Senate requires holding 18 seats, which allows a majority to make committee assignments.

“Our hope is we’ll work hard through Nov. 7th and pick up four to five Republican seats,” Marsh said. “And then we’ll work with three or four Democrats, and hopefully more.”

State Sen. Bradley Byrne, R-Fairhope, said the Republicans and conservative Democrats wanted to end the “dysfunction” in the Senate, describing the plan as a similar to a power-sharing agreement in a parliamentary democracy.

“I can’t say any sort of deal has been struck, but based on conversations so far, we certainly anticipate some sort of power-sharing agreement,” he said.

Means would not commit to the proposal described by Marsh and Byrne, but said he would not vote for Barron as Senate President Pro Tem, either.

“You just don’t do stuff like that to your own party,” Means said of the PAC’s activities.

Preuitt said he was “too busy” running his campaign to think about the proposal.

“I don’t want to get in with what I will do or won’t do,” he said. “I don’t mind saying I work well with Sen. Marsh. I don’t know who the leadership will be when we get back, but I’ve always been able to work with whoever was governor, whoever was lieutenant. Governor.”

Holley and Butler did not return messages seeking comment. Singleton could not be reached.

Barron said he was not surprised by the Republicans’ overtures to those senators.

“At this point in time, they’re losing all the races they’ve been trying to pick up from our (pro-Barron) coalition,” he said. “I expect the effort they’re trying to put together will be a losing effort. I think it will just be a losing effort.”

Tim Howe, the executive director of the Alabama Republican Party, said he did not want to talk numbers for November.

“I think (Marsh) is probably looking at it from a planning and organizational standpoint,” he said. “At the party, we want to pick up as many seats as possible.”

How many seats? Natalie Davis, a political science professor at Birmingham-Southern College who conducts regular focus groups of voters, said there would probably not be any major shifts in the election.

“It’s a case where you hate the Legislature, but love the legislator,” she said.

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