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Those were part of Davis's most recent comments to the Washington Post as part of his farewell wrap-up media tour in which he continues to bash Ron Sparks.
So Artur why did you run for Congress five times over the past decade? (Once in 2000 when he was defeated by Congressman Earl Hilliard) What was the point? As I've set numerous times, Davis neglected the folks of Alabama's 7th Congressional District and he finally admits it in this very telling remark. I feel used and betrayed that I ever supported Davis when he says that his ultimate goal over the past decade was to become Governor. My assumption had been that he started thinking about the Governor's Mansion after Obama won the 2008 election. Apparently he was simply using Congress as a stepping stone and a resume builder for his Gubernatorial run.
Well Davis has surely burned bridges over the past two months since getting walloped by Ron Sparks, but this might take the cake and surely shows how calculating he was over the "past decade". Looks like Davis isn't planning on turning back
As for the future, Davis said he plans to move his family to Northern Virginia when his congressional term ends and over the next decade become a "top-flight criminal defense lawyer."
Last month after his decisive runoff victory over Bradley Byrne, Robert Bentley received heaps of praise from Democratic Gubernatorial primary loser Artur Davis. Almost as if Davis was writing the script for Bentley's Wheaties Box.
Fast forward to this morning where Davis pens an editorial stating that he will not endorse or campaign for Ron Sparks.
Yesterday Alabama's Democratic executive committee convened for its traditional post-primary meeting. The usual ritual at these events is that the runner-up in the primary embraces the winner and pledges full-throated support for the nominee in the fall.
In a break with tradition, I did not attend that event and will not be campaigning for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. I want Democrats and independent-minded voters to know just why not.
Sour grapes Davis continues to lick his wounds where he issues another "this is not an endorsement" of Bentley
Character matters in the governor's race, too. After observing Sparks' campaign operatives at close range for over a year, I observed a pattern of thinly veiled personal smears and a casual approach to spreading falsehoods about lives and voting records. When the Sparks operatives begin their inevitable assault on Robert Bentley, voters would do well to remember the e-mails and circulars from a primary campaign that was unusually ugly.
It is not my place to endorse Rep. Bentley's campaign. He ran the best race this cycle, and is doing quite well without my help. I remain a Democrat because I believe in the country that Democratic presidents have tried to build for three generations. But as I leave the political arena, I keep reflecting on the sad statistic that many of our educated young people leave the state in search of brighter hopes elsewhere.
I regret that neither political party in Alabama has laid out a genuine course to keep those young people home. I'm not surprised that Republicans haven't done better, and I am deeply disappointed that Alabama Democrats are failing the test as well.
Why Davis wouldn't just say he endorses Bentley is beyond my wildest imagination? My guess is that he has grown accustomed and possibly even addicted to speaking in political ambiguity. He again speaks glowingly of Dr. Bentley although stops short of endorsing him. However, there is no question as to how Davis intends to mark his ballot once he gets in the booth.
Is the Alabama Democratic Party aware Left in Alabama has a history of supporting conservatives over liberal democrats and gave Congressman Artur Davis a free pass for his vote against health care reform?
Is the Alabama Democratic Party aware my front page privileges were revoked by the administrators because I said something they didn't like about Terri Sewell and because I wasn't an Artur Davis for Governor supporter? Although they claim I was never banned from posting Left in Alabama my account was disabled for several months. My account was briefly reinstated last month, then I pi$$ed them off again and was subjected to the Dale Jackson treatment.
It's a special rule for Dale (3.00 / 2) And Redeye. Folks who tend to get caught up in arguing for the sake of argument and leave a large volume of low value comments in a short time. Dale agreed to this arrangement. He's on the honor system but we remind him of his total.
As of today I cannot log on to Left in Alabama to post comments. They also have a rating system which allows trusted commenter's to delete post. As a member of the Alabama Democratic Party I have a real problem with any party funds being spent with a blog who treats me in this manner.
Oh please (4.00 / 4) Stand behind your words, why don't you? It may be cute in junior high to mince words and try to avoid responsibility for what you said, but no one really believes you're blameless even then and it certainly doesn't wash when you're an adult.
You painted all moderates with an extremely broad and unflattering brush then pretend you didn't mean to apply that brush to someone who calls herself almoderate? No one here is that gullible.
You have the pissing analogy backwards. This is how it goes, according to LBJ who said it of J. Edgar Hoover: "I would rather have him inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in." It's akin to "keep your friends close and your enemies closer."
I agree that a party divided will not stand. So why do you persist in pounding wedges that serve to split off various segments of the party? It can't just be a party of people who exactly agree with Redeye, because there are not enough people like that to form a majority for anything. Well, I guess it could be a party that small, but members would only be able to moan and complain about never having power and getting pissed on all the time because most people would be outside the tent.
A party like that is nothing to aspire to
Is this what the Alabama Democratic Party stands for? If so count me out.
For your "it's almost 5 o'clock on this Thursday afternoon" reading pleasure.
1. We thought Artur Davis might be a Democrat again based on a quote he made about the Fair Sentencing Act not going far enough as reported by Huff Po yesterday. Actually Ryan Grim wrote the part about might be a Democrat again and deserves credit. Except for the fact that Davis didn't say that exactly. Congressman Danny Davis of Illinois made the statement.
An update to the story was offered
CORRECTION: The original version of this article inaccurately attributed a quote to Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.). The quote, which remains in the piece, has since been attributed to the proper source, Rep. Danny Davis (D-Il.) In addition to seeking clarification, Davis' office released a statement this morning offering the following thoughts on the issue:
My position is that I supported the legislation to reduce the crack powder distinction because the current 100 to 1 ratio in the federal sentencing guidelines cannot be justified. I have held that position since I practiced as a federal prosecutor in the nineties. At the same time, I would oppose efforts to make the new ratio retroactive to past drug defendants largely on the grounds that the federal courts would be swamped with appeals and collateral attacks on sentences.
So in theory, Artur Davis supported the Fair Sentencing Act so I guess he deserves some credit. Well not too much since essentially everyone in Congress except for some dude from Texas voiced approval for its passage. For example, one of the driving forces for the Fair Sentencing Act on the Senate side was Jefferson Beauregard Sessions. Nuff said there.
This masterpiece editorial should be reprinted by every paper in the country. Furthermore, every state should pass this law immediately and we should see it introduced at the Federal level. Fat chance but it's definitely worth dreaming about.
With our logo proposal, when lawmakers get up to speak, colorful patches on their suits will make it clear whom they represent. Your lawmaker, not just your AT&T installer, will wear the familiar blue and white AT&T sphere. AT&T is among the top spenders on lobbying in California - as is the Western States Petroleum Association. The association's curved swoosh will be prominent on lawmakers' suit jackets, along with the logos of their oil company members, including the red letters of ExxonMobil and the cheerful yellow and green sun of BP.
No doubt political leaders will protest. But enough is enough. We might as well make it clear that when lawmakers speak, what we're actually hearing is a word from their sponsors.
Artur Davis has nothing but heaps of praise for Republican Gubernatorial nominee Robert Bentley.
"Robert Bentley is one of the most decent, honorable people I know in politics. I have nothing but admiration for him," Davis said Thursday. "I believe he will be a very strong candidate."
While not quite an endorsement for Bentley, Artur did not reiterate support for Ron Sparks either. In fact he said about Sparks and the Democrats.
I wish Ron Sparks well. But I think one common concern that people have -- and I share -- is that he could open the door that allows gambling interests to control Alabama," Davis said. . .
"Ron Sparks was very much the candidate of activist, liberal Democratic voters. And the fact is that's a very small segment of the electorate in Alabama," he said. "That puts him very much at odds with the majority of Alabama voters, and that is a prescription for failure." . . .
Davis said he was "very concerned" that the Alabama Democratic Party was coming under increasing control by a tight circle of individuals and special interest groups. . .
"The party is losing its way. We are losing ground in Alabama and we are losing it unnecessarily," he said. "We want to hide behind the excuse that the national party is unpopular right now but that's not what's causing it. The fact is we're seeing the complete domination of the party by a narrow group of insiders who are completely out of step with average Alabamians."
Artur you just created a freaking ad for Robert Bentley. Good job buddy. I cannot believe that at one time I considered you a fine Democrat. How can you of all people say that the Democratic Party lost it's way? We think you lost your way when you voted against health care reform.
Look - Gambling is already in Alabama. Let's tax it and fund education.
Now go off and be an investment banker in New York City with your old DLC buddy Harold Ford Jr.
I don't live, work, or most importantly vote in Alabama's 7th congressional district, but I know a lot of people who do. I know a lot of people who don't have indoor plumbing, don't have access to health care, send their students to under achieving public schools and have toxic coal ash waste dumped on them. The 7th congressional district is historically and culturally important to me because thanks to the work of Dr. Joe L. Reed, it is the only African American district in Congress.
Alabama's 7th congressional district is in the heart of the black belt and the cradle of the civil rights movement in Alabama. It was the only Alabama district President Obama won in 2008. For the past 8 years the 7th district has been represented by Artur Davis, who sold them out for his own blind ambition. They deserve competent, committed, effective, couragerous, experienced leadership in congress. The stakes are just too high.
As unclesam.johnson said, this is an election for peopel who actually live in the 7th district.
This is truly an election for the people that actually live in congressional district 7 and for people that can actually VOTE in the district. The problem is that way too many people and organizations are trying to influence it for the wrong reasons (I'm sure that many consider this subjective but it is really not). People that do not live in the district can give high level spin for candidates, write flashy blog posts, post misinformation about candidates, put up radio ads, act as tools of outside interest but in the end it is about the people that vote. It will be about the people who's everyday life is affected by their congressional representation.
It is morally wrong for people that do not live in the district to try to influence votes, however, its a free country and free speech reigns. As supporters of constitution reform, we all know the dangers of being able to vote for issues that do not affect us (e.g. why do I ned to vote on sheep herding, shrimp farming etc.. in other parts of the state).
At the end of the day, the people that actually live and vote in the district will select their choice of the candidate that they trust, has a record of experience, and the one that will do the right thing. Fortunately enough, very few on this blog will have the opportunity to do so.
I am praying the people that actually live and vote in 7th district select their choise of candidate and don't let the republicans and their enablers steal the only African American congressional seat.
Ms. Sewell did not grow up in poverty. Her parents were both public schoolteachers (as were mine). While not wealthy, schoolteachers in Alabama were no longer skipping meals by the time Ms. Sewell came along. (Thank you, AEA.) She spent several years as a partner in a Wall Street law firm where per-partner profits were well over a million dollars a year. She is now a partner in one of the most elite law firms in Alabama - perhaps the most elite. Her choice of home was certainly not constrained by her income. No longer married to anyone with an interesting history, she need not worry about the size of the home or yard.
Terri Sewell is a nice, accomplished, young lady. But that doesn't mean she should be elected to Congress to represent one of the poorest and disenfranchised districts in Alabama.
Let the voters of the 7th district decide who represents them in congress, not the gop. Been there. Done that.
Much has been made recently over the million plus dollars Terri Sewell has raised in her bid to win the AL-07 Congressional seat. But where is that money being spent?
Mostly out of state to the peril of folks in Alabama's 7th Congressional District. Her campaign is obviously being run by out of state consultants who do not understand Alabama politics or the need to invest in the local economy.
This morning I just got an email that the Alabama New South Coalition has not received any support from Sewell in their GOTV efforts
TO: New South Members in the Seventh Congressional District
SUBJECT: GOTV Funds
Senator Hank Sanders has advised ANSC President and State Coordinator that the Terri Sewell Campaign has failed to provide any GOTV monies whatsoever to the Alabama New South Coalition. He has been working with them since June 22nd to no avail. They advised him that they had to put all their money in radio. Senator Sanders asked that you be advised of this development and that you should use this information as you see fit.
Interesting - all the money going into radio and none for the people in the district to feel a part of the campaign. Nothing unusual here for the Sewell campaign who is putting most of the big money into salaries from out of State and media consultants from outside Alabama. Just Another slap in the face similar to those made by Artur Davis in his failed gubernatorial run.
Today is Shelia Smoot's (AL-07) 47th birthday. A week from today, voters in Alabama's 7th Congressional District will go to the polls and cast their historic vote for the first African American Congresswoman from Alabama. Shelia and her opponent are both African American females vying for the Democratic nomination in this PVI +18 Democratic seat. This seat is currently held by Artur Davis who was the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the member from the most Democratic district to vote against Health Care reform. With Smoot we have a chance to have a much better Dem.
If you saw the Alabama 7th CD Debate tonight, I'm sure you were able to pick up in the contrasts between Terri Sewell and Shelia Smoot.
Take the representation of Artur Davis for example. Both candidates agree that Davis made the wrong decision in his vote against health care. However, when asked by the moderator, former Selma mayor James Perkins, about how they would grade Congressman Davis you got two ends of the spectrum. Sewell said she would give Davis a B whereas Smoot would give Davis a D.
I think where Sewell failed miserably though is when she drew a distinction between her and Smoot's leadership style. She said she would be non-confrontational and not seek an argument for arguments sake. People like Shelia Smoot because she is aggressive and will fight for the least of these as she says in her own words. Furthermore, at times during the debate Sewell came off as very combative and defensive although she wants to paint herself as someone who is more of a team player.
Smoot handled the difficult questions much better than Sewell and is clearly more comfortable in such a setting. Even critics of Smoot should be aware that she is much more comfortable answering the tough questions and talked about how the Jeff Co sewer debt was the most difficult situation she faced in politics.
Tonight was an opportunity for the voters to listen to the two candidates discuss the issues and their leadership styles. Although, I'm biased I think that Smoot remained more poised and was certainly more comfortable in her own skin.
Much has been written about Artur Davis losing his bid in the Alabama Democratic Primary earlier this month. Many point to his vote against health care as the turning point in his defeat. However, I think this goes back to his general attitude towards his base. Roland Martin of CNN wrote an email to Huffington Post about Davis completely writing off black media.
Davis pointedly refused to do black media. He turned my TV One show down six times; he didn't do Tom Joyner's show, with 8 million listeners - TJ is a Tuskegee native; he turned down dozens of requests from Joe Madison of Sirius/XM; and he didn't do many others.
He assumed because of his skin blacks would flock to his campaign. Sparks outhustled him and worked black voters in a major way.
Any smart politician knows to shore up their base. He was advised by top Democratic strategists, from the White House on down, to solidify his base. He never did that.
National media types were perplexed and shocked because they coronated him as a rising black star. Those of us who follow black politics closely were not shocked.
I think this goes to another issue being that Davis brought in a lot of outside the state supposedly "top political talent". How can you talk about economic development in your own state when you have to go outside the state to field your campaign? Davis made a number of blunders and some of them we are just finding out about.
The list of Ron Sparks supporters keeps growing and now includes former Governor Don Siegelman. Not really much of a surprise if you consider the long list of Democratic establishment candidates that have lines up with Sparks in the last couple of weeks. However, the endorsement from Siegelman could sway voters for a few different reasons.
Here's the text of the email
For the first time ever, I am endorsing a candidate in the Alabama Democratic Primary.
I'm proud to join political leaders like Dr. Richard Arlington, Hank Sanders, Joe Reed and the Alabama Democratic Conference and New South Coalition in supporting Ron Sparks for Governor. Why?... because I know Ron's heart is right.
Ron Sparks wants to create jobs, pay for free college scholarships for our children with our own Educational Lottery and pay for nursing home care for our seniors by taxing casinos. Ron is courageous and the hardest working man I've seen, well, since I was a candidate.
That would be enough but I am also disappointed in Artur Davis...Not only because he voted agaist health care and took a bunch of money from insurance companies, but Artur has taken several thousands of dollars in contributions from the very people who had me prosecuted and put in prison.
I just don't understand who Artur really is deep inside. But I do know who Ron Sparks is and what he stands for, and I like everything I know about Ron Sparks. So, it's for these reasons that I am supporting Ron Sparks for Governor.
Don Siegelman
Governor of Alabama 1999-2003
205-260-3965
siegelmand@gmail.com
There have been a number of Siegelman supporters who were mad at Artur Davis because he left the judiciary committee. They also believe Davis could have been more vocal in the investigations into Karl Rove's involvement in the Siegelman case. This endorsement may fuel the fire for that old wound. I think that Siegelman's endorsement could sway a number of voters.
Davis has received a lot of fallout from his vote against health care reform. But this message here expounds upon what many Democrats in this State believed to be a slight of Governor Siegelman and what they believe to be a political prosecution.
Last night the U.S. House moved forward and voted for a proposal to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT). While this vote mostly broke down party lines , a few Republicans voted for and some of the usual suspect Dems voted against.
Here's a very insightful observation from Rep Patrick Murphy, Iraqi Vet, who proposed the amendment
The chief sponsor of the amendment, Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Pa., who served in the Iraq War, said that when he was in Baghdad "my teams did not care whether a fellow soldier was straight or gay if they could fire their assault rifle or run a convoy down ambush alley and do their job so everyone would come home safely."
While Artur Davis was busy yesterday attacking Ron Sparks for race discrimination lawsuits filed against him the irony should be noted in that he failed to vote on a very discriminatory law. I understand that five days out from an election it would usually be acceptable to skip this vote. However, Davis has missed a lot of votes this year while he has been making his bid for Governor.
Update: Sparks made some comments about this issue on the radio this morning according to a release just received from the Davis camp
"The first thing you gotta remember is I have over 400 employees. I've only had three EEOCs (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaints) in seven years... When you have over 400 employees, you're gonna have some people that don't feel like they're treated fairly."
Three is less than 1 percent.
The heat is up in the Alabama Gubernatorial primary on both sides. Artur Davis slams Ron Sparks in his newest radio spot which was released this morning. It's Called the Last thing and talks about Sparks being sued as Ag Commish for cultivating a climate hostile for black employees. I think that it's a little over the top personally especially since this is the first we've heard of the claims in this race.
Here's the ad and the text of the ad.
Below is the script for "The Last Thing":
The last thing you'd expect to hear about a Democratic candidate for Governor is that his own employees had to take him to court for race discrimination.
That candidate is Ron Sparks. Sparks' Agriculture Department has been sued three times for race discrimination by his own employees. They said Sparks created a hostile workplace for blacks.
And what did Ron Sparks do about it? He took over two years to respond to an administrative judge's finding that a black female's rights were violated, a delay the federal court called "unjustifiable."
Sparks even had to use our tax dollars to cover up his department's mess with a secret settlement.
The very people who trusted Ron Sparks to give them the right leadership. Three of them had to take him to court?
Claims of race discrimination. A rebuke from a federal judge.
That's who Ron Sparks really is. And Alabama would be much better off without him.
We don't get any real information about these lawsuits from this ad. Was it Sparks personally or just the department? Will it be effective or will it just turn voters off from Davis? We will find out on Tuesday.
Ron Sparks announces today that new polling conducted last week shows him with a one point lead over Artur Davis. Of course this sits within the margin of error and therefore I'm just calling it a dead heat which is not good for the Davis camp.
A new poll conducted by Montgomery-based Matrix LLC for the Ron Sparks campaign shows Sparks with a one point lead over Artur Davis, the first poll during the election to show Sparks with a lead. Artur Davis blew a 30 point lead at the beginning of the race to fall behind by 1 point with one week left in the election.
Two independent polls completed last week corroborated the Matrix findings.
The poll's most significant finding shows Davis well below the 50 percent mark with African-American voters, receiving a soft 43 percent. The poll also showed continued weakening by Davis with white voters, with only 30 percent choosing Davis.
This comes on the heels of Research 2000 showing in their first polling of Alabama that while Davis holds an 8 point lead, Sparks does better across the board against the Republicans.
On the GOP side Bradley Byrne seems destined for a runoff with Roy Moore or Tim James.
Campaign staffs can change like you change your underwear. (well at least if you change your drawers on a daily basis). Ron Sparks and Artur Davis have both been through more than their fair share of hires, fires and resignations this cycle. Par for the course in electoral campaigns
However, today's reported Sparks hiring of former Davis staffer Darryl Perkins is a major coup and surprise with just under two weeks until the June 1 primary.
Daryl Perkins, a long-time staffer for Artur Davis who left the Davis campaign in October, has signed on to the Ron Sparks gubernatorial campaign, a Sparks campaign supporter confirmed to the Parlor.
"He has been helpful behind the scenes for a while now, as an informal adviser, but now it's official," said the supporter who added that Perkins would be working with voter outreach. "Artur was foolish to let him go. He didn't realize how much Perkins did for Davis and for Alabama." Perkins was introduced as a new member of the team at last Saturday's meeting of the campaign's coordinators.
Darryl Perkins knows Alabama politics especially Birmingham and the 7th Congressional District. Sparks just gained a couple of points in knowledge and respect off this hire. Both Davis and Perkins were quiet about what appeared to be an amicable split last year. However, Alabama political insiders felt that there must have been some internal problems that caused this split. If Sparks is going to pull off the what seemed to be unthinkable and defeat Davis he's certainly making some good moves toward the end of the race.
Will be interesting to see if Davis counters or issues a public statement about this move.
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