The Wrath of Riley
Much has been made of the line item veto by the Governor on the Tuscaloosa project and the subsequent “retaliation” by Senator Poole for those voting against “his” project.
I think everyone realizes this was retaliation by the administration against Senator Poole for allegedly switching sides and supporting the Mitchem/Barron majority in the organizational session.
Their defense was that it wasn’t retaliation and that it was a strike for honor and accountability. Riley called the appropriation “pork”, which evidently he is against when it’s not his pork. My question is…why wasn’t their a line item veto for other pork? The approved funding for the Dekalb UFO festival comes to mind. There are hundreds of other examples.
After the Governor’s veto was upheld by the House, Senator Poole, in turn, killed House members’ bills in the Senate. Of course, outrage ensued with some of my GOP friends, who even tried to equate such actions to that of the sucker punch in the Senate.
I guess I don’t understand all of their squawking. They are acting as if they don’t also filibuster. Do they not work to kill legislation.
Sometimes these “techniques” are needed. I will be the first to admit that I use them myself occasionally.
I guess it all depends on whose ox is getting gored as to who side you are on but, let’s face it, all sides positioned on this particular issue. I’m sure if it was a project for someone else that had been vetoed by a democratic Governor that we would hear a different argument.
“You can’t take politics out of politics.”
Speaking of politics, it is also interesting to note that the Governors liaison carried around with him all day, veto messages on our TVA bills. He waited until right before the House Pro Tem moved to recess and adjourn, thus ending the session, to “drop” the bills. This meant that the House would not have an opportunity to override the Governor’s veto.
Was the Governor’s move sneaky? Was it underhanded? Or was it just great strategy?
I guess it depends on whose ox you’re riding when it gets gored.
i guess its just gonna take the 36 month undercover operation to clean the corruption from the circulation of public trust. the public trust travels through veins clogged with corrupt promises, mafia payoffs and idiot thief hubbert apologists under the guise of pac to pac transfers. I only hope Hinshaw is a pristine as he has us believe. Hammer Time!!
Comment by Homo — June 16, 2007 @ 10:32 pm
This session was really depressing. I’m a staunch Democrat, but I’m disgusted with state Senators of both parties right now. The House seems to have its act together and be willing to do things to move Alabama forward, but the Senate is just not getting the job done.
Constitutional reform and the PAC to PAC ban were the things I most wanted to se pass this session.
Comment by mooncat — June 17, 2007 @ 5:47 pm
“Mafia payoffs?”
Comment by Danny — June 18, 2007 @ 8:44 am
I haven’t seen anywhere Riley calling the Poole project “pork.” I’ve seen him say the General Fund shouldn’t be used for road projects, but nowhere has he called it “pork.”
Comment by Anonymous — June 18, 2007 @ 2:26 pm