Leadership……..Old School
Finally, somebody gets it.
Everyone can all stand around and point fingers but, in the end, someone had to step up and take the lead. The Governor had the opportunity to exhibit leadership but instead urged his coalition in the Senate to shut down the session, while simultaneously attempting to take credit for “brokering a deal”. However, in the end, nothing happened. There was no deal.
It was going to take something drastic to get past the silly, session-long, do-nothing comedians up in the “House of Lords”. It was going to take real leadership, not the leadership of sound bites and slogans of pseudo-bipartisanship.
Jim Folsom, the Lt. Governor, was the man who, ultimately, got the job done. Folsom didn’t ask for credit. Folsom didn’t run for the nearest television camera and talk about what a strategic genius he was for ending the stalemate.
The Governor’s coalition immediately cried foul. After all, their reign of terror in the upper chamber came effectively to a screeching halt. They threatened lawsuits and court action, making most of the rest of us stand around, scratch our heads, and look at them like they came from another planet. I myself have been a victim of the dreaded indefinitely postpone motion, which is the motion in question. The effect of the motion is to kill a bill. So, I didn’t understand the legal question surrounding the Lt. Governor’s action. It’s all a matter of semantics between the statute and the rules on motions but, the end result is the same. The rest is just political hooey.
The effect of the decisive and effective leadership of Lt. Governor Folsom led to the events of yesterday, when all seemed to be forgotten and it was Love Fest 2007 up in the Senate. Yesterday, it was more “my esteemed colleague” and “the honorable gentleman” than it was the usual threats and offers to meet members “outside” to settle disputes. In short, they behaved like grownups. So regardless of political affiliation, everyone should give credit where credit is due.
Harry Truman once said “In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” In the absence of leadership, Alabama has been standing still. Maybe, at last, we can begin to move forward.
I heard that Folsom said - not sure whether it was in a floor speech, or in a one-on-one or a one-on-several sort of talk - “Alabama is listening. Alabama is watching.”
I hope he did tell them that among other useful stuff, because we sure all were watching and listening with the usual embarrassment.
Comment by herding old cats — May 25, 2007 @ 10:20 pm
He showed real leadership earlier in the session when he helped whisk through the 62% pay raise on a voice vote while senators jumped up and down calling for a recorded vote. Alabama should surely be proud to have a leader like Folsom.
Comment by Brian — May 26, 2007 @ 5:47 am
I actually happened to be in Montgomery the day of the pay raise vote earlier this session, and was in the Senate gallery. No doubt there should have been a roll call, just as a matter of procedure. But as a matter of fact, the Senators were not “jumping up and down calling for a recorded vote.” I KNOW that AFTER the fact they CLAIMED they were, but the only hand I saw in the air was Hank Erwin’s, until after the voice vote and the announcement. Then the shouting and gnashing of teeth began. Of course, many of those who shouted and gnashed their teeth still took the raise anyway, so it does make us wonder, doesn’t it?
Comment by Payne — May 26, 2007 @ 10:11 am
[…] This morning, Rep. Randy Hinshaw (D - Meridianville) offers his perspective on leadership that was (and was not) exhibited in breaking the Senate stalemate. Rep. Cam Ward (R - Alabaster) gives us a peek on how legislators from one city or county work together, even across the aisle. […]
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