Musings from Maytown Poll Results for Democratic Primary for Governor

The Musings from Maytown poll for the Democratic Primary for Governor ended with the following results:
Ron Sparks 23 for 37%
Artur Davis 18 for 29%
Mike Dow 11 for 17%
Sue Bell Cobb 10 for 16%
The vote totalled 62 votes, far less than the Republican primary poll, held the week before. Ron Sparks is currently Agriculture Commissioner and hails from Dekalb County. Artur Davis is currently Congressman from Alabama's Seventh District and hails from Birmingham. Both Sparks and Davis have announced that they are candidates for Governor.
Mike Dow is former Mayor of Mobile and Sue Bell Cobb is Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court. Neither Dow nor Cobb is an announced candidate for Governor.Cobb would have to resign her position as Chief Justice. Cobb is the only Democrat on the Supreme Court, and is receiving pressure from some Democratic attorneys to remain on the Court and forgo a race for Governor.
Thank you for your answers in the recent polls.

Audit the Fed HR 1207: This ought to be a no-brainer

On February 26, Congressman Ron Paul introduced HR 1207 the Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2009. This legislation would require that the American taxpayers have a complete accounting of the trillions of dollars spent through the Federal Reserve. In the recent bailouts, we had trillions spent, and that money came through the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve meets in secret, it's ledgers are secret, even the bank operations are in secret. Yet, the Fed operates with great power over our financial systems and our national monetary policy. As a result of recent changes, the Fed now purchases mortgage securities, treasuries, and bonds. The Federal Reserve alone sets interest rates. Yet, all of these actions are taken without consent of our representatives in Congress.
At this time, 179 members of Congress have co-sponsored this needful legislation-- including 33 Democrats and 146 Republicans. So far, Congressmen Rogers, Aderholt, and Bachus from Alabama have signed onto this legislation. Congressmen Bonner, Bright, Parker, and Davis have not signed on as co-sponsors. If just the Republicans would sign on (31 have not), we would be able to force a vote on this legislation. I would hope that you would contact your representative and ask them to sign on as co-sponsor of this vital, needful, and sensible legislation.

President Obama Tips His Hat on Supreme Court Appointment

President Obama has now selected his first Supreme Court nominee, in Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor was first nominated to the US District Court by President George H.W. Bush then later appointed to the US Appeals Court by President William Clinton. Some conservatives were elated that Sotomayor had defended the Bush Mexico City Policy, which prohibited spending US tax dollars to export abortion to foreign countries.
Other conservatives have appreciated that Sotomayor climbed out of poverty (raised in a housing project) and has worked hard to accomplish success in the legal field. Sotomayor received conservative applause for her ruling on the baseball strike. What is President Obama thinking?
A close look at Sotomayor's record indicates that she is a liberal jurist, not a strict constructionist. Pro-life groups have reacted in opposition to the Sotomayor nomination, declaring that this jurist would vote to uphold Roe vs. Wade (the landmark decision overturning abortion regulation laws in fifty states). In the late 1980s, Sotomayor was serving on the Board of Latino Justice, and filed a brief with the Surpreme Court when they considered the Webster vs. Reproductive Health case where the Supreme Court came short of overturning Roe vs. Wade. Dawn Cardi, former law partner with Sotomayor, is assured that Sotomayor will uphold Roe vs. Wade. When the 2nd Appeals Court dealt with Ricci vs. DeStefano, on the issue of discrimination against white firefighters, Sotomayor was solidly in favor of Affirmative Action. Sotomayor's attitude toward discrimination may be founded on her background. As Judge Sotomayor said, in a speech at the University of California, "“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion (as a judge) than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
Perhaps her personal philosophy can be summed up in an introduction to a book called The International Judge: An Introduction to the Men and Women Who Decide the World's Cases, which suggests that she believes foreign case law and statutes have a role in the adjudication of U.S. cases.
Pro-second amendment organizations are troubled with the Sotomayor nomination as evidenced by this press release from Gunowners of America.
What conclusions can conservatives draw from the Sotomayor nomination?
1) Sotomayor is a liberal, but not a radical. Musings from Maytown believes that President Obama did not want an inflammatory nominee this early in his administration.
2) Sotomayor will vote with the current liberal majority on the US Supreme Court. Dangerously, she will allude to international law in interpreting the US Constitution.
3) Sotomayor will vote similarly to the individual she is replacing, Justice David Souter.
4) Sotomayor has enough edge to her liberalism to excite liberal activists, but not enough to cause conservatives to go to the wall against her. Considering the strong Democratic majority, likely, Sotomayor could not be defeated under any circumstances. Any allusions to her background and ethnicity will backfire when conservatives oppose her.
5) Conservatives should still raise the issues of concern with Sotomayor. The focus should be the liberal direction of our court system and the liberal direction that we should expect from Obama's appointments.
6) Presidential elections do make a difference. When one expresses anger at the milquetoast Republicans such as George W Bush and John McCain, one can only consider that Bush did make two excellent Supreme Court appointments and McCain would have moved the Supreme Court to the right with this appointment. Conservatives have missed an opportunity to overturn Roe vs. Wade with the Obama election.

Glasgow Rangers win their 33rd Scottish Cup

One week after winning their 52nd Championship in the Scottish Premier League, the mighty Glasgow Rangers won the Scottish Cup for the 33rd time, the seventeenth championship in Manager Walter Smith's tenure.
The Rangers win came on a second half goal by Nacho Novo and the mighty Ranger defense held on to secure the 1-0 victory over Falkirk. The win was particularly striking since Rangers starters Maurice Edu and Pedro Mendes were held out of the Scottish Cup championship due to injuries. But the Rangers were determined not to let down after last week's dramatic victory over Dundee United to clinch the Scottish Premier Championship.
After difficult times in the 2008-09 season, including a seven-point deficit in December, the Rangers came back in all of their royal blue glory to win a domestic double (League Championship and Cup Title). Musings from Maytown still believes that the Scottish Premier League has a pro-Celtic bias, since Kris Boyd of the Rangers was passed over for League Player of the Year for a Celtic player. The terrible officiating in the Hibs game was likely due to an official's bias.
We notice that the English Premier League is reopening discussion of inviting the Rangers and Celtic to join the English League. No question, in time, the Rangers would be competitive with any team in the English League, but the majority of Rangers fans seem to want the Scottish team to remain in the Scottish Premier League. Musings from Maytown does hope that Rangers will use this discussion as a bargaining chip to obtain better treatment from Scottish Premier League officials.
On to 2009-10 for another championship year by the Glasgow Rangers.

Chelsea Blues take English Football Cup

The class of the English Premier League,the Chelsea Blues, won the English Football Cup today with a 2-1 victory over Everton. The FA Cup victory was a great consolation to a tremendous team who hit hard times earlier in the year. The FA Cup victory for Chelsea demonstrated the character of the Chelsea football club, after a mid-season change in managers. Guus Hiddink had been managing the Russian National Team and came as temporary manager for Chelsea. Under Hiddink's leadership, Chelsea made a tremendous comeback, finishing a close third in the English Premier League and losing in a controversial semi-final in the European Cup playoffs. Even in the FA Cup championship, Chelsea came behind from an early Everton goal to win, led by Didier Drogba, Chelsea's fiery star. Fans have called for Hiddink to stay at Chelsea, but this man of character had made a commitment to return to Russia and fulfill a commitment. However, Chelsea fans long for a coach in the mold of the Dutch coach Hiddink.
Musings from Maytown believes that Chelsea can win the Premier League Championship next year and advance to the finals of the European Champions League. With talent and with the right manager, Chelsea can reclaim glory over Manchester United, this year's league champions. For those non-British readers of Musings from Maytown, Chelsea represents the strongest in British patriotism. A typical Chelsea fan is a Conservative partisan and maintains loyalty to the Crown. The strongest base of support for Chelsea, located in the Western section of London, are the pensioners, veterans from the British military.
So, let's celebrate this blue day as Chelsea takes home the FA Cup.

For the 52nd Time, Glasgow Rangers win Scottish Premier League

The team fight song says there's not a team like the Glasgow Rangers, no not one, and there never shall be one. As an Alabamian who cheers on a football team from Glasgow, Scotland, I agree that there is no team in the world with the heritage of the Glasgow Rangers.
Today, on the final game of the season, Walter Smith's Rangers won their 52nd title in the Scottish Premier League with a 3-0 victory at Dundee United. No team has the heritage of winning as does the Rangers. Rangers fans will not accept mediocrity, demanding a championship level team each season.
The Rangers have been derided as the Scottish Presbyterian team. In one sense, the Rangers really are the team of all that is the best of Scotland. At one time, this season, the Rangers were seven points behind their crosstown rival, the Celtic. Celtic supporters tend to mock the Rangers' loyalty to Britain, their Protestant fan base, and their friendliness to Ulster. The Celtic fan base waves Irish flags, while Rangers fans wave the flags of Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Year after year, the Scottish Premier League is dominated by Celtic and Rangers. However, Celtic had won three championships in a row, prior to today. The enemies of the Reformation faith in Scotland and Northern Ireland are grumbling today because of a Rangers victory. Musings from Maytown celebrates this glorious victory.

Legacy of the Ron Paul Presidential Campaign

In 2008, Musings from Maytown joined the loud chorus of Ron Paul supporters who cried that the system is broken and needed a complete dismantling. When Ron Paul won only a handful of delegates, won only 3% in the Alabama primary, and won only three (3) votes at the Maytown Baptist precinct (mine, my daughter's and my wife's-- my son's vote was at the absentee box), I began to feel that the Ron Paul effort was a waste of our energy.
When the Paul for President campaign horded $5 million to promote post-election causes, some of us who contributed felt thrown aside and were less-than-happy. But time has proven that the Ron Paul for President campaign had an effect far beyond the 2008 Republican primaries. So far, what is the legacy of the Ron Paul campaign? For starters, let me mention four:
1) The Tea Party rallies across America had, as the movement's genesis, the Ron Paul campaign. Motivated Ron Paul activists were the mind and effort behind the founding of the Tea Party movement. While establishment Republicans sought to hijack the movement, we know that the largest shout for limited government in a generation was started by those who were called into action by Ron Paul. The message was clearly Ron Paul's message
2) The End the Fed movement has forced 179 members of the House of Representatives to co-sponsor legislation, introduced by Congressman Ron Paul, to demand an audit of the Federal Reserve Bank. Ron Paul was the only candidate to speak out on the abuse of a private corporation controlling our money supply. The Fed is not accountable to Congress, but that will change if Paul activists have their way. As soon as the election season ended, Ron Paul supporters held End the Fed rallies across our land and the impact is now felt in the halls of Congress
3) The Young Americans for Liberty movement on college campuses has become the most powerful voice for Constitutional government on these campuses. Young people are responding to the message of limited government.
4) Ron Paul activists are holding Republicans accountable for promises of limited government, all while supporting increasing the size of government. Ron Paul supporters have found their way into county and state GOP committees and are speaking up and asking tough questions.
Yes, the Ron Paul movement was not in vain. Let's keep the fires of liberty burning. The message of lower taxes and less government is a true message that will find support as we speak forth this message.

Poll Results for Alabama Governor's Race

The polls have closed on the Musings from Maytown poll on the GOP nomination for Alabama Governor. The results are
Roy Moore 334 for 61%
Tim James 139 for 27%
Dr. Robert Bentley 44 for 8%
Bradley Byrne 17 for 3%
Bill Johnson 2 for 0%
Tony Petelos had 8 for 1%, however Petelos announced midway through the Musings from Maytown poll that he would not be a candidate for Governor in the 2010 election.
Now, Musings from Maytown posts the poll on the Democratic nomination for Alabama Governor. The candidates will be Congressman Artur Davis, Agriculture Commission Ron Sparks, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Sue Bell Cobb, and former Mobile Mayor Mike Dow. Davis and Sparks are announced candidates, while speculation remains on the possible candidacies of Justice Cobb and Mayor Dow. Voting will end on the evening of Saturday, May 30. Please urge all interested citizens to vote in the Musings from Maytown poll.

Musings from Maytown Represented at Barons Game

As one who grew up in Birmingham, some of my fondest memories are that of attending Barons games at historic Rickwood Field. I well remember attending games in the 1960s, actually when the team went by the Birmingham A's (as a farm team of the then-Kansas City A's.) Those Birmingham teams included later Major League stars like Reggie Jackson, Joe Rudi, Dave Duncan, and Rollie Fingers. This crop of Birmingham stars later won the World Series as the Oakland A's.
On Friday, May 15, this writer had a thrill that will last forever in throwing out the first pitch at the Barons home game with the Carolina Mudcats at Regions Park in Hoover. This privilege was the result of winning a contest on Barons trivia,and the contest winner received Barons tickets and the privilege of throwing out the first pitch. The game was exciting as the game ended in an 11th inning rainout with a 3-3 tie. You can view these photos which were taken by Jefferson County District Judge Eddie Vines.This year is particularly thrilling as the Barons currently have the best record in the entire Southern League and are now seven and a half games ahead of the second-place Mobile Bay Bears in the South Division of the AA Southern League. The Barons are currently traveling, but begin their next home stand on Tuesday, May 26. However, on Tuesday, May 27, the Barons will host the Mississippi Braves for the Rickwood Classic, the one game a year that the Barons play at historic Rickwood Field, the original home of the Barons and the oldest baseball stadium still in use. This game will commemorate the 1982 game when the Barons hosted the Atlanta Braves who played the Southern League All-stars. The Mississippi Braves (AA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves) will wear the uniform of the Atlanta Braves. Tickets are available at www.barons.com The Rickwood Classic was rated as the top Minor League event of the year in an online survey by Minor League Baseball.
The Birmingham Barons are dear to my heart for several reasons: 1) they represent the American sport of baseball 2) the Barons represent my hometown 3) the Barons have a heritage, perhaps unmatched, of any minor league baseball team in America. In the spirit of conservative interests, consider taking the family out to a Barons game. particularly the Rickwood Classic.

Republicans vs Conservatives

In a recent conversation with a local Pastor, a social/moral issue rose and the man said I know how strong you will be,on that issue, since you are one of the most Republican people I know. Let me stop at his statement and draw two conclusions from his statement:
1) This informed citizen identifies social conservatism with the GOP
2) This educated individual would identify my perceived conservative views as being strongly Republican. This conversation came at a point when I have personally decided that I do not wish to be identified with the Republican Party. In recent months, this writer has refused requests to be involved with like-minded people, who are banding together under the GOP banner. My preferred political identification would be conservative, or even better, Constitutionalist. Consider the differences between a Republican and a conservative.
* A Republican is pro-business, while a conservative is pro-free enterprise. What is the difference? A Republican would support bailing out corporations, at taxpayers' expense. Take note of GOP support of the Chrysler bailout and the TARP bailout. A conservative really does believe in allowing the free market to run unhindered.
* A Republican believes that the Federal Government should solve the problems of education, supports funding the Department of Education, and believes that the No Child Left Behind debacle is a compassionate move for government.
A conservative believes that the federal government has no role in education. We agree with Ronald Reagan that the Federal Department of Education should be abolished and control returned to the local level.
* A Republican believes that the national military should intervene when favorable to American-based international corporations. A conservative believes that international corporations become so at their own risk and should not ask taxpayers to pay for their international expansions.
* A Republican thinks that federal grants are good for business, but welfare problems cause lack of initiative on part of the recipients. Corporate welfare and TARP bailouts are good, but giveaway programs are bad, according to Republicans. Conservatives want to see free enterprise work.
* In the name of free trade, Republicans support NAFTA and GATT which put the force of the Federal Government in support of sending manufacturing jobs overseas. Conservatives want real free trade, but don't want the meddling of NAFTA and GATT which create bureacracies to manage trade. As a result, most conservatives don't trust the so-called free trade agreements, especially when they surrender national sovereignty to foreign entities and create a superhighway for foreign trucks.
* Republicans are proud of their Congressmen bringing home federal pork contracts, while conservatives are disgusted at the abuse of Congressional power to direct funds and spend money that should have originated and been directed from the private sector.
* Republicans will support a liberal Republican because it's good for the Party. Conservatives will never support a liberal, because it's bad for the country. In recent days, liberal Republican Florida Gov. Charles Crist has announced for US Senate. Crist was a supporter of the Obama stimulus package. The Conservative Republican Speaker of the House Rubio was already running for this seat, but the National GOP establishment is already behind Crist, thinking he can win the election.
*Republicans support an open-borders immigration policy as good for business, due to the cheap labor of illegal immigrants. Conservatives want the borders honored and protected.
This writer's closest friend from childhood is a liberal Democrat. This gentleman made a statement that the conservatism of the Bush Administration had failed. My friend further stated that this is why the country turned toward the liberalism of the Obama Administration. My response was that conservatism had not failed, conservatism was not tried. The Bush Administration saw a vast increase in the size of government and a doubling of the Federal Debt. No conservative can complain about Obama's socialism without honestly realizing that the Bush Administration and the Republican Congress paved the way with their Medicare program, No Child Left Behind, and, worst of all, the TARP bailout.
Remember, Richard Nixon expanded government with the creation of new Federal agencies,wage and price controls, a guaranteed minimum income, and new levels of federal controls.
In our lifetime, we have had one President who talked about rolling back the size of federal government. President Reagan set out to challenge the size of the Federal Government, but sadly lost much of his battle. Nonetheless, the Reagan-era decreasing of the size of government and the cutting of tax rates led to the greatest growth in our economy in American history. But succeeding generations of Republicans have repudiated Reaganism, preferring instead the silliness of Compassionate Conservatism, whatever that is. True conservatives know that government is wooden, non-emotional, and makes policy based on principles, not ooshy-gooshy feelings of any sort. While Reagan won record landslides, the so-called Compassionate Conservatives were swept aside in the landslide of 2008.
Learn the following lessons:
1) Republicans win when they stand for conservative principles. When they offer a milquetoast version of big government, people opt for the real thing and vote Democratic.
2) Conservatives should never trust a Party--any Party-- to fight our battles. We should live by principle and realize that parties are only vehicles to further our agenda.
3) Conservatives should never, never give one thin dime to the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, or any other national GOP office. We should direct our contributions to conservative groups and let the country club establishment support the liberal Republicans. When the national GOP groups call for money, remind them that you are no longer supporting the GOP until they become the party of Reagan again.
Forgive my anger, but from the time of Reagan, most conservatives have identified themselves as Republicans. This article is not an advocacy of a third party. This article simply says that we need to think of ourselves first as conservatives. Our loyalty to Party should be far down the line, if found at all.

The Maggie Thatcher Legacy-- Thirty Years Ago Today

Thirty years ago today, Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister of Great Britain. Thatcher took office after a long period of Labour Party rule, but Thatcher's common sense conservatism propelled the Conservative Party (aka the Tories) back into power. The United Kingdom had endured a period of economic decline, but Thatcher promoted tax cuts and spending cuts. Long moving toward socialism, Thatcher
encouraged private intiatives. With the British Empire in decline, Margaret Thatcher boosted the strength of the British military and encouraged British standing in the world. Thatcher's swift action in the Falklands War brought a revival of British patriotism.The United States and, in particular, Ronald Reagan, had no better friend than Margaret Thatcher. In fact, Lady Thatcher spoke, by video, at the funeral of President Reagan.
Margaret Thatcher is the only woman to ever serve as Prime Minister of Great Britain and served in that position longer than any individual since Lord Liverpool in the Nineteenth Century.
Thirty years ago... and the world is better to have had Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher on the scene.

Jack Kemp: Rest in Peace

This past weekend, former Congressman and '96 GOP nominee for Vice President Jack Kemp passed on into eternity. My first recollection of Kemp was watching Jack Kemp as Quarterback for the San Diego Chargers. In fact, Jack Kemp's first pass as an NFL quarterback was in an exhibition game at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Upon retirement from the National Football League, Jack Kemp moved to Buffalo, NY and won a traditionally-Democratic seat in the US House of Representatives. In his bids for re-election, Kemp won large chunks of the rank-and-file Union members, normally part of the Democratic base.
As a Member of Congress, Kemp became an advocate for tax cuts, based on the philosophy of supply-side economics. Kemp became the best-known advocate of the Laffer Curve, designed by Economist Arthur Laffer. This curve explains that higher taxes may not increase revenue, but may inhibit revenue, due to a decrease in production. As a result of influence by Economists Laffer and Jude Wanniski, Jack Kemp began to campaign for large cuts in personal income taxes.
Kemp's crusade caught fire when he caught the attention of Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan. Reagan signed on to support of the Kemp tax plans and, as a result, earned the endorsement of Jack Kemp and Arthur Laffer.
Riding on the popularity of a campaign for tax cuts, Ronald Reagan was elected President and immediately called for a thirty percent tax cut, sponsored in Congress by Jack Kemp. The Kemp-Roth tax package (also named for the Senate sponsor Sen. Bill Roth of Delaware) passed a Democratic-controlled House and was signed into law by President Reagan. These tax cuts came in a time of recession, but the infusion of private initiative sparked the longest period of economic growth in American history.
In 1988, Jack Kemp ran for President and I was privileged to serve on the Alabama Steering Committee for the Kemp Presidential campaign. While he lost, Kemp's platform of tax cuts influenced the eventual nominee, George Bush (the father) who defeated Michael Dukakis by campaigning on Kemp's themes. In typical Republican form, George Bush did not govern according to Kemp's principles and lost his re-election bid after promoting a tax cut.
Kemp came back as Bob Dole's VP candidate in 1996, but even an energetic Jack Kemp could not sell the dullest candidate nominated by a major party in years.
In 2006, Jack Kemp returned to Alabama for a campaign visit and I shook his hand, reminding him of the 1988 campaign. Kemp asked for prayers due to his prostate cancer. .
Jack Kemp believed in the American dream. Before the critics trash Kemp, I know that he lost respect from many of his conservative cohorts when he pushed for some civil rights legislation and promoted weaker immigration enforcement. While I would not always agree with Kemp, I do know that he was determined that the free enterprise system leave out no one. While I might differ on his agenda, I think Jack's heart was in the right place. Jack was a believer in Christ, a Presbyterian layman, and man of principle on issues such as the right to life and religious liberty
I look back on 1980 and am thankful that Jack Kemp caught the eye of Ronald Reagan. I look back at 1988 and wish he had won the nomination. I consider 1996 and think that Kemp, on top of the ticket, would have defeated Clinton. We lost a great patriot this weekend in Jack Kemp. May his wife and family find solace in the faith of this Christian believer and the accomplishments of this American patriot.