MSNBC’s Chuck Todd takes show to Alabama ahead of Tuesday’s special election
With just four days to go before the special election, MSNBC’s Chuck Todd took “MTP Daily,” a spinoff of the Sunday show “Meet the Press,” on the road to Alabama Friday ahead of the state’s Tuesday Senate race. “It’s snowing heavily in Alabama, really, and that’s nowhere near the craziest thing that’s happening here,” said Todd from Wintzell’s Oyster House in downtown Mobile, Ala. introducing the show. There, he sat down with several guests to discuss the heated race between Republican Roy Moore and Democrat Doug Jones. Todd sits down with Dean Young His first guest of the show was Dean Young, campaign strategist for Roy Moore. Young told Todd that Moore will help the country “get back to the Constitution and godly principles that made this country great” and he has “no doubt” his candidate will win on Tuesday. “How does he effectively serve in the United States Senate, when his fellow republican senator, if he gets elected, Richard Shelby, didn’t won’t to vote for him, said he wrote somebody in. Mitch McConnell doesn’t want him there. I’d say at least half of the Republican Senate conferences on the record, saying they want to see him potentially expelled from the Senate. How can he represent Alabama effectively?” Todd queried. “He’ll be effective,” Young responded. “Look at what’s happening now, so when he goes up to Washington, they count on him standing for what’s right, what’s just and what’s fair.” When pressed whether or not he had any doubt as to whether Moore would win, Young simply answered, Nope.”
Surprising, early season snowstorm results in power outages, slick roads in Alabama
A pre-winter storm Friday dropped heavy, wet snow on a swath of north-central Alabama, causing power outages and making travel hazardous in spots. Revised forecasts projected as much as 6 inches of snow could fall on some sections of north-central Alabama before the storm tapers off later in the day. At noon, temperatures in the affected areas were hovering at or below freezing. Forecasters predicted colder temperatures later in the afternoon, leading to icy conditions overnight. At midday Friday, about 50,000 Alabama Power customers were without power, out of 1.4 million statewide. The brunt of the outages, about 26,000, were in metro Birmingham. About 17,000 customers were without power in eastern areas, including Gadsden and Anniston. About 3,800 customers were affected in western areas, including Walker and Tuscaloosa counties. In south-central Alabama, including Clanton and Alexander City, about 2,600 customers were without power. Alabama Power crews were working across the state to get the lights back on as soon as possible. The wet, heavy snow led to tree limbs falling on power lines in many areas, causing many of the widely scattered outages. Customers affected by power outages are encouraged to call the company’s automated power outage reporting line at 1-800-888-APCO (2726). It is the fastest way to report a power outage. Republished with permission from the Alabama NewsCenter.
Martha Roby: Enhancing the protection of the Second Amendment
Our country’s Founders laid out certain rights in our Constitution in order to empower the people, not the government. Certainly among the most fundamental rights we have as Americans is the right to keep and bear arms, as declared by the Second Amendment. As a gun owner myself and a staunch defender of the Second Amendment, I am pleased to report that the House of Representatives has taken action to preserve Americans’ constitutional right and ensure that our background check system is functioning properly. The House has passed H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, to enhance and standardize the protection of the Second Amendment by simply ensuring all law-abiding citizens who obtain concealed carry permits in their home states can exercise the right to protect themselves in any state. Our Second Amendment right doesn’t end when we cross the state line, and I believe individuals who meet the requirements for concealed carry in their home state should be allowed the same privileges in any state, of course provided that they obey the local concealed carry laws. That’s what H.R. 38 does. This bill also seeks to ensure that our current National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) is enforced and working properly. In the wake of the horrible shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, we learned that the assailant had been allowed to legally purchase a firearm when he should not have been. If the system we have in place had worked, his time served in military prison for his history of domestic violence would have been properly reported into NICS by the U.S. Air Force, and he would have been prohibited him from obtaining such weapons. This oversight was unacceptable, deadly, and completely avoidable. That’s why H.R. 38 takes steps to hold federal agencies accountable for their responsibility to report information. Some gun control advocates claim that this bill somehow makes it easier for dangerous, unqualified individuals to obtain and carry guns. That is absolutely not true. If a citizen is currently prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm, this bill does nothing to change that. On the other hand, others have claimed this bill makes it harder for Americans to exercise their Second Amendment right. That’s not true either. H.R. 38 does nothing to infringe on any law-abiding citizen’s right to keep and bear arms, but rather seeks to ensure that our current laws are properly enforced. Those of us who respect the Second Amendment and dedicate our careers to defending it will always fight to protect this fundamental right from those who would try to erode it. It is precisely because we want to preserve the Second Amendment for future generations that we must uphold and enforce our current laws designed to ensure that dangerous people cannot legally obtain weapons. As a member of the Judiciary Committee that worked on this legislation, I’m proud that the House has taken this important action. I also appreciate the work of the National Rifle Association and other groups to help build support for this legislation. I hope the Senate takes up this bill quickly and sends it to the President’s desk. I will keep you posted as we move forward. ••• Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama with her husband Riley and their two children.
Phil Williams: Political animals and sacrificial lambs
Anyone who supposed that politics was not a contact sport has likely had that opinion changed in the last thirty days. In actual fact politics and public life in general have become a bloodsport. Compared to a mere decade ago the relative speed at which accusations now fly and public officials resign in the age of social media and the 24/7 news cycle is like comparing my grandmother’s rotary phone with the iPhone X. Blood is spilled daily. But it is also noteworthy that the death blows no longer come in the form of attacking the public positions of another. All too often the kill-shot comes by crushing the person, the name, the character of the individual. Liberal activist and community organizer Saul Alinsky opined that “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.” Tear down the person and you can effectively diminish his or her ability to operate. The current U.S. Senate race in Alabama is ground-zero for the political weaponization of character crushing. In the midst of the feeding frenzy are the political animals in the Democrat Party who once chose to ignore the same behaviors that are now crushing their own peers. Those who once turned a blind eye to unacceptable behaviors are realizing that they no longer have the luxury of believing that it will all blow over soon. The notion that no one is really paying attention is being overcome by a cacophony of real and fake news that break like waves on a shore when controversy arises. Republicans have their share of problems. Republicans in Alabama recently worked to remove one of their own from the Governor’s office under a cloud of immoral behavior. Republicans nationwide had called for Bill Clinton to be ousted from positions of power long ago. But Democrats have traditionally turned a blind-eye to sexual misconduct and harassment in their own ranks. How then can a Democrat who pish-poshed over Bill Clinton’s misogynistic behavior maintain their political position? The answer comes in their quest to regain the moral high ground. In order to preserve some measure of credibility on the hottest topic in the public arena the Democrats knew that they needed a sacrificial lamb… or two. Enter Senator Al Franken and Representative John Conyers. Democrats know that their cat-calls and contempt for Roy Moore in Alabama’s Senate race were deflated when overwhelming evidence surfaced that Franken and Conyers were predators-in-fact. Photographic evidence and contemporaneous testimony from Franken and Conyers accusers destroyed the high ground that Democrats had staked for themselves in the modern melee. It is understood by realists on both sides of the aisle that Roy Moore will win the US Senate election and travel to DC. The only way that the Democrats in power can appear credible when they attempt to drown Moore in the swamp is to be seen as the Party that sacrificed two of their own for the greater good. Make no mistake, Franken and Conyers needed to go. People should never be objectified or forced into compromise by anyone, especially by someone in a position of authority over them. But had it not been for the Harvey Weinstein era that arose recently then history dictates that the Democrats would have just filed the Franken/Conyers accusers in the “trollop file” with other well-known accusers like Juanita Broadrick and Paula Jones. Moore is going to win on December 12th. I also predict with certainty that Moore is going to have Republican competition for the 2020 primary. But Moore is also going to face the wrath of Democrats in DC in the short-term who will feel emboldened by their new found righteousness. Franken and Conyers have just been sacrificed on the altar of the Democrat Party to appease the God’s of liberalism. They will now march into battle like the political animals that they are with the mistaken belief that they have captured the key terrain. ••• Phil Williams represents Etowah, Cherokee, Dekalb and St. Clair Counties in the Alabama Senate. You may reach Senator Williams by phone at (334) 242-7857 or by e-mail at phil@williamsstatesenate.com.
ALDOT actively responds to winter weather statewide
The Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) has crews responding across all areas of the state experiencing winter weather today due to Winter Storm Benji. Roadway and weather conditions will be monitored as long as necessary, with road and bridge treatment ongoing in affected areas. ALDOT crews will be actively working to keep State, U.S. and Interstate highways open. Currently, all highways remain open, but the public is urged to check www.algotraffic.com for alerts and road closure information, and to monitor their local news media for information about road conditions. Travel conditions could be considered hazardous in areas where there is any precipitation, whether it is snow, rain or a wintry mix. ALDOT urges everyone to avoid travel where adverse conditions are present until roadway and weather conditions improve. Reports from the National Weather Service mid-morning Friday said all city roads were closed in Talladega, and some streets in Anniston were becoming impassable, with multiple wrecks reported. For additional information, visit dot.state.al.us.
BBA elects 2018 Chairman Lee Smith, announces board, officers
Lee Smith, Executive Vice President and East Region Executive for BBVA Compass, has been elected as the 2018 Chairman of the Board for the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) —the lead economic development organization for the Birmingham region. Smith succeeds UAB President Ray Watts. “I am excited and honored to be serving as Chairman of the BBA in 2018,” said Smith. “Preparing and adding to the region’s workforce, and supporting Birmingham companies to attract and retain some of the brightest minds in the country will be a top priority for the coming year. I would like to thank Dr. Ray Watts for his strong leadership of the BBA for two years. His vision and wisdom around complex issues has helped Birmingham become a powerhouse of innovation and economic development that is recognized throughout the region and the country.” Members of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors were also elected at the annual Chairman’s meeting. Each will serve a one-year term. The 2018 BBA officers include: Chairman of the Board: Lee Smith | BBVA Compass Chairwoman-elect: Nancy Goedecke |Mayer Electric Supply Vice Chairman of Workforce Development: Sanjay Singh | Bimal LLC Vice Chairman of Public Policy: Greg Curran | Maynard Cooper & Gale Vice Chairman of Communications: Don Logan | Birmingham Barons Vice Chairman of Finance: Nelson Bean | Synovus-First Commercial Bank Vice Chairman of Economic Development: Jim Gorrie | Brasfield & Gorrie President and CEO: Brian Hilson | Birmingham Business Alliance Corporate Secretary: Bing Edwards | Edwards+Law LLC New members of the BBA executive committee include: Ed Aldag | Medical Properties Trust Tim Vines | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Nick Willis | PNC Bank Randall Woodfin | Mayor of Birmingham New members elected to the BBA Board of Directors include: Jason Alexander| St. Vincent’s Health System Scott Berte | Dixon Hughes Goodman John Coleman | Graham & Co. Chris Cooper | AAA Cooper/Boyd Brothers John Hackett | Kamtek Brian Hamilton | Trillion Communications Corp. Dr. Bruce Irwin | American Family Care Jimmy Johnston | Autocar Richard Murray | National Bank of Commerce Kathy Nugent | UAB Daniel Parker | Norfolk Southern Corp. Andrea Smith | BBVA Compass Bill Smith | Shipt Tricia Wallwork | Milo’s Tea.
Roy Moore plans Election Eve “Drain the Swamp” rally in Midland City
Republican Senate hopeful Roy Moore is planning an election eve rally in the Wiregrass. Slated to begin at 6 p.m., the “Drain the Swamp” rally is scheduled to take place at Jordan’s Activity Barn in Midland City, Ala. The former Alabama Chief Justice has stumped with former White House chief strategist and current Breitbart News chief Steve Bannon in recent days, where he’s been focused on defeating his Democratic opponent Doug Jones. Moore faces Jones in the special election Dec. 12.
