Martha Roby: White House honors army aviation, Fort Rucker
Every year since 1981, the White House Historical Association has designed the official White House Christmas ornament. It is always interesting to learn about the history of each year’s design, and this year’s ornament is particularly special for Alabamians – and especially for those of us who live in the Second District. This year’s White House Christmas ornament features a helicopter to honor President Dwight Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, who was the first U.S. president to fly in a helicopter while in office. According to the White House Historical Association, the 2019 ornament is meant to symbolize Eisenhower’s commitment to innovation. After Eisenhower first traveled by helicopter in July of 1957, the helicopter became a feature of White House life. Through the years, the helicopter has often been used for short distance commutes. As the first president to regularly use a helicopter, Eisenhower had two Executive Flight Detachments for his transport, which were provided by flight crews of the Army and the Marine Corps. Since 1957, Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company that also has an extensive operation in Pike County, has built the presidential helicopter. The 2019 White House ornament honors that special legacy, but it also pays tribute to Army Aviation and Fort Rucker, as Fort Rucker is the location site of the original Army One used by Eisenhower. The White House Historical Society recently held an event at Fort Rucker to celebrate this historic honor, and I was glad to participate alongside Governor Kay Ivey and other leaders. As Alabamians, we know how special and critically important Fort Rucker and Army Aviation are – not only to the Wiregrass and our state – but to the safety and defense of our nation. It is wonderful and appropriate that the White House has chosen to honor Army Aviation and Fort Rucker in this way. I know my family will certainly display the ornament proudly and treasure it for years to come. Throughout my time in Congress, I have considered it a privilege and responsibility to represent a district that is home to Fort Rucker, home of the United States Center of Aviation Excellence. I will continue to use the platform I have been given to ensure that Fort Rucker remains a strong component in our national defense infrastructure. We all should be incredibly proud that President Eisenhower first began using Army helicopters as a mode of presidential transportation. This historic honor by the White House is a true testament to the legacy and continued success of Army Aviation in our country. You can read more about the White House Historical Association and year’s ornament by visiting www.shop.whitehousehistory.org/holidays/ornaments. Martha Roby represents Alabama’s Second Congressional District. She lives in Montgomery, Alabama, with her husband Riley and their two children.
Former Alabama congressman Jack Edwards dies at 91
Former U.S. Rep. Jack Edwards of Alabama, who served 10 terms in Congress and was in the first wave of Deep South Republicans, died Friday. He was 91. His family said through a spokesman that Edwards died at his home in Fairhope after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Edwards served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1985. He was one of five Republican congressmen from Alabama elected in 1964 as GOP presidential nominee Barry Goldwater carried several southern states. The 1964 race was a harbinger of things to come as the onetime Solid South grew to become dominated by Republicans. Edwards served under five presidents from Lyndon Johnson to Ronald Reagan during his time in Congress. He was vice-chairman of the Republican leadership. He became the ranking Republican on the defense subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. He was known as a strong supporter of Reagan’s military buildup, the governor’s office said. He also oversaw funding for the rebuilding of Alabama’s Dauphin Island bridge after a devastating 1979 hurricane. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said Edwards served his state and nation with the highest degree of integrity and he was respected on both sides of the political aisle. “He was the epitome of a true public servant and was the ultimate statesman for Alabama. Our state has lost one of our finest,” Ivey said in a statement. In a statement released by his family, they said Edwards described his hopes for a return to civility when recently asked what kind of world he would like to leave his great-grandchildren. “My hope is that my great grandchildren will grow up in a country where civility will have been returned to common discourse and to the efforts to solve the country’s problems,” Edwards said according to the family statement. The governor said flags at the Alabama Capitol will be placed at half-staff in his honor. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama democrats push for party meeting on bylaws
Some Alabama Democrats are trying to call a state meeting amid a looming deadline from Democratic National Committee officials and an ongoing power struggle over the direction of the state party. U.S. Sen. Doug Jones is among those seeking an Oct. 5 meeting of the Alabama Democratic Party’s executive committee. Jones’ campaign started a “Fix the Party” website for committee members to review proposed new party bylaws and submit a meeting request. The Democratic National Committee in February ordered Alabama to update bylaws to provide representation of more minorities — not just African Americans — in the party and to hold new chair and vice-chair elections. A DNC panel this month gave the state party until Oct. 5 to approve the new bylaws, the latest in a series of deadlines given to the state party. Alabama Democratic Party Chair Nancy Worley scheduled an executive committee meeting for Oct. 12, a week after the deadline. She said the meeting was scheduled then so it wouldn’t interfere with October mayoral races. Executive committee members can call their own meeting if a majority of committee members agree. The Jones’ campaign said in an emailed statement that it created the “Fix The Party” website so members could easily access and view the new DNC-approved bylaws and the letters from DNC Chairman Tom Perez and the Rules and Bylaws Committee. “As of this afternoon we are confident that we will have enough support from SDEC members to call for the October 5th meeting,” the campaign statement read. Perez this month said the state party had “fallen far short of meeting its basic obligations” and national party officials have withheld funds because of the chronic problems. Worley, who was reelected as party chair last year, wrote in a text message that “malcontents” are pushing for the Oct. 5 meeting. She said the party leadership submitted several sets of bylaws, but said national officials seemed to always have a moving target. Worley said she believed the “real problem” is that some in the party remain unhappy with the result of last year’s leadership elections. Worley won reelection as party chair over a nominee backed by Jones. Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Friday said the party must “get it right.” “The Alabama Democratic Party must be a platform for progress for our state. As the mayor of the most progressive city in the state, we’re counting on the state party to get it right. If we’re going to have success in the future we just have a strong two-party state,” Woodfin wrote in an email. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
