Report on Alabama GOP Dinner

Last Friday, the Alabama Republican Party held it's semi-annual State dinner at the Sheraton Civic Center in Birmingham. My daughter and I were the guests of Jefferson County's outstanding female legislator, Pat Moore of District 15. Musings from Maytown certainly hopes to see this consistent conservative re-elected. An enthusiastic crowd greeted syndicated columnist Cal Thomas who held Republicans responsible for reneging on the Reagan agenda that made the GOP the majority party. Cal Thomas challenged the Alabama Republicans to hold to a limited-government agenda, to continue espousing pro-family values, and to be true to a strong national defense. This writer appreciated Thomas' holding of Reagan as the model for Republican success, a theme often advocated at Musings from Maytown. Several tidbits of information to report are:
* Tim James worked the crowd to a positive response. Among other gubernatorial candidates, Dr. Robert Bentley was pressing the flesh, Bradley Byrne was welcoming guests, Judge Roy Moore was absent, and Kay Ivey appeared to be ignored by the guests of the evening. However, this biased writer believes that Tim James received the warmest welcome among the party activists.
* Other statewide candidates present were: US Senator Richard Shelby, pictured here with conservative student Sarah Killian; Senator Hank Erwin, candidate for Lt. Govenor; millionaire lobbyist Luther Strange, candidate for Attorney General; Supreme Court Justices Tom Parker and Mike Bolin, both up for re-election; Judge Tommy Bryan, the outstanding member of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals; well-respected Appeals Court Judge Kelli Wise, also a candidate for Alabama Supreme Court:newly-appointed Criminal Appeals Court Judge Jim Main; John McMillian and Dorman Grace, both candidates for Commissioner of Agriculture. While others may have been present, these were observed personally by Musings from Maytown.
* The enthusiasm is high, on part of Republican activists. Party leadership has been successful in raising funds, in anticipation of taking the Alabama legislature in 2010,
* The consensus seems to be that Republicans will win as the explicitly conservative party. By trying to out-promise the Democrats, Republicans will look stupid and continue their downward slide.
This writer has been calling himself a former Republican, but a few more speeches like we heard from Cal Thomas, and I might be willing to wear the tag again.